


A Ranger's Legacy.

by hayes768



Series: The Legacy Universe. [3]
Category: Aquaman (2018), DC Extended Universe, Power Rangers (2017), Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Female Tommy Oliver, Lorena is the Green Power Ranger, M/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, She's a total mom friend to her team, Survivor Guilt, absent father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-06-01 06:58:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 73,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15137651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hayes768/pseuds/hayes768
Summary: Recently widowed and pregnant, Lorena Prince moves to Angel Grove on another earth for clarity, carrying all of her emotional damage with her. As her pregnancy progresses, she remembers her late husband and wonders if she can be an effective co-leader on her Ranger Team while being a single mother.





	1. Killing Me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sequel series to A Prince's Legacy, so I would strongly recommend reading it before starting this one because it's really the genesis of this story idea with only the barest of hints of what happened to catch people up. I'm sorry if this isn't new reader friendly.
> 
> This is mostly a series focusing on Lorena Prince being the Green Power Ranger with her team while she raises her child. While the pervious series focused on the mythos of Wonder Woman, this series will focus more on Power Rangers mythos, hence the title. I don't know how long this series is going to be yet, I'm kind of playing everything by the response this story may get because I have first few chapters roughly plotted in my mind, but it probably won't be as long as my other story. Please feel free to leave comments because they really make my day. 
> 
> Chapter title is taken from the song by Luke Sital-Singh of the same name. Okay, dokay. Let's get onto the story.

* * *

Lorena knows this was a terrible idea, she should've asked someone else to pack her things in her Paris apartment, but she hasn't been thinking clearly since Hunter died and she needs to be alone to sort through her memories of a life she's ready to leave behind, at least that's what she tells herself and the others around her. In reality, she needs a peaceful place to break down and doesn't want anyone see her tears.

She instantly feels weak in the knees upon entering the bedroom to find everything is just as it was left two weeks ago before the invasion that she's tried everything in her power to forget from the messy clothes strewn about the floor to the untidy bed near a small gift box in her dresser holding a positive pregnancy test she always wanted to reveal to Hunter until everything went to hell and she never had a chance to watch the delight on his face as he opened it.

Instead of wishing on what could've been, she grabs her most personal items to make the journey to a new permanent home more comfortable, like Hunter's green Army jacket because it always smells like him when she wears it, then she opens his nightstand to retrieve his military dog tags and almost breaks into tears again when seeing the polaroid pictures of happy memories he left to gather dust in the drawer. The morning was so peaceful with just the two of them and if Lorena had known it would be Hunter's last day alive, she would've never let him leave the safety of her arms.

She slumps down to the floor against the closet, unable to hold back her tears anymore while flipping through the photos of their happy faces so in love. She's experienced death more times than most people with her parents, then Arthur and Mera, Nana, and even AJ, so why is Hunter's death really goddamn difficult this time? Maybe it's because Hunter left something more then pictures when he was unfairly taken from this world, he left behind their child and someone he'll never have a chance to meet.

As if the universe was still playing a cruel joke on her, Lorena bangs her head on the back of the open closet door in frustration and accidently knocks down a box of her parents items from life. She shifts through the broken pictures of her parents' past memories for her father's Catholic Cross because if she was going scream at anyone while desperately holding onto Hunter's jacket, it's going to be God. "Why did you take him from me? Why did Hunter have to leave me?"

"Well, I may not be that delicious boy toy you once shared a bed with, but I can keep you company at night better than most. Just give me control of you and we'll have a great deal of fun together." Rita's voice sinisterly echoes through Lorena's Green Power Coin into her mind, causing her to scream in pain and agony as she tries to expel Rita from her thoughts.

"Lorena, are you alright? Do you need me?" Trini asks in curiosity when hearing the commotion. She made a promise to Lorena to stay out in the hallway to give her time to gather her things and grieve her losses, but the screams coming from the bedroom worries her enough to disobey the request and move in to comfort her. The room is completely in shambles, but Trini only cares about the woman huddled in the corner as she kneels down and takes Lorena into her arms to comfort both of them. "I'm here for you, what do you need from me?"

"She's back in my head and I can't handle her anymore without Hunter!" She wails with tears in her eyes, clutching onto Trini's shirt for support.

"Who's back in your head? Is it Rita? Kim told me you were hearing her voice at the funeral. Is Rita still speaking through your Coin?" Trini asks with fear in her voice as one of the few people who are still affected by Rita years after her demise. Lorena nods shakily, and Trini gives a comforting, loving kiss to her forehead before quickly placing the jacket, dog tags gift box, and polaroid pictures in the box of Lorena's things and holding onto it while she helps Lorena to her feet to leave this place of bad memories behind. "I think it's best if we speak with Zordon once we get you settled back home with us."

Lorena angerily wrestles the box away from Trini and walks down the stairs at a quick pace towards a secluded area away from the people on the street so they use can her multiverse teleporter to make the journey to the Rangers' earth as Trini runs to keep up with her. If Lorena was going to struggle to keep Rita at bay, then she was going to struggle alone, she won't drag Trini or anyone else on the team down into the abyss of despair with her.

"There's no need to worry about me, Yellow." Lorena says in a low growl with a crooked smile, slipping up and letting Rita speak through her and catching both of them of guard. They spend a few seconds in uncomfortable silence until Lorena opens a portal to the right earth, they each hold the bags and boxes as Trini is about go through when Lorena stops her when seeing her fear. "Wait, I'm sorry, Trini. I didn't mean that, it was Rita, I'll tell Zordon as soon as possible. Are you ready to go home?"

"Are you?" Trini asks, wanting Lorena to process everyone and everything she's leaving on this earth before they go.

In response to her question, Lorena doesn't look back as she slowly takes Trini's outstretched hand and steps through the portal with tears of remembrance streaming down her cheeks, unsure if she is ready to her new life on a new earth with her Ranger team and friends, just without Hunter by her side. Does she have the right to live a life of happiness after everything she has lost? Only time will tell.

* * *

"Rena, you can wake up. We're safe now, everything is alright." Hunter's voice fills the air around Lorena as she wakes up to the sight of his beautiful blue eyes staring back at her while he rests in the bed they share together. He reaches out to run his hand through her hair and kiss her softly. "Morning, sleepy head."

"You're here?" She says, touching the beard on his face before she rolls over on top of him to be closer while he gives another kiss that seems to be a little off. "Please tell you're here with me, please?"

"I'm here, of course I'm here with you. I never left you and I never will for as long as you live. Now, let's have some fun." He quickly sits and attacks Lorena with a series of passionate kisses all over her body from her lips and neck to her chest beneath her clothes. Lorena quickly enraptured by his gentle love to realize what's truly going on until it's almost too late and she discovers that Rita is the one giving her this pressure.

Rita is able to worm her tongue down her throat before disappearing from Lorena's vision to become a voice in her head once more as Lorena begins shaking in fear of what just happened. How could she let Rita in that far down into her soul. "You can berate me with your words in my head and temp me to hurt myself or others physically, BUT DO NOT EVER USE MY HUSBAND OR CHILD AGAISNT ME AGAIN, OR I FIND A WAY TO KILL YOU A THRID TIME!"

"Oh, so defensive of your ghosts. See? I told you I would keep you company and you didn't disappoint, so feisty, I see why Hunter liked you. If it's any consolation, you're a much better playmate than the Yellow Ranger ever was, you should be proud of the pressure you gave me."

Rita disappears with a sickening laugh, and Lorena curls into herself for comfort from the real world like she does every morning. She never told Zordon or anyone else on her team about Rita speaking in her head. Instead, Lorena chose to spend the next few weeks in bed at her new house listening to the dark thoughts planted in her head by the former Green Ranger and ignoring calls from her friends to help defend Angel Grove when threats occur, or even go outside for fresh air.

Her pregnancy has progressed to the fourteenth week and with her baby steadily growing inside of her, Lorena knows she has to end this self-imposed isolation with everyone if she wants help preparing for the child in the coming months. So, she decides to call someone before leaving bed to begin the day and she doesn't bother to stop her emotions as Hunter's always hopeful tone speaks through the phone in the form of a voicemail message.

"Hi, you've reached Hunter Prince. I'm unable to take your call right now, please leave your name and number at the beep and I will get back to you soon. Thank you and have a wonderful day And if this is my mother or Lorena, I love you. Sorry, I wanted to get that out into the world before hanging up." Just hearing his soft voice is enough to bring a million questions back into her mind and she can't help it when she quietly sobs until the beep.

"Hey, babe. I don't know why I keep leaving you these messages all the time when it hurts me so much to do it and you're probably sick of hearing them anyway, I just wanted to hear you say I love you again because it helps me cope now that you're gone. I also wanted to let you know that our baby is healthfully growing inside of me so far, I actually had my first doctor's appointment a few weeks ago and I was pretty excited about it while being very nervous at the same time. Enough talking about me, I hope you're getting my messages wherever you are now and I hope you've finally found the peace you deserve. Bye, babe."

Lorena runs her fingers through her colorful hair while taking a few deep breaths to compose herself after hanging up, hoping she won't see Rita when she opens her eyes again, but Rita is who she finds. "Ah, that was so sweet, I might actually cry if wasn't so lady-like." She says in a mocking tone like a southern belle, causing Lorena's phone to shatter when she throws it against the front door as someone knocks on the other side.

"Hey Lorena, it's Kim, I know you're in there. I'm not sure if you remember or not, but we had to move my  son's birthday celebration to after Hunter's funeral and his party is later this afternoon. We would all love it if you could attend, especially Adrian, I kinda promised him that his favorite aunt would be there, can you at least consider coming, please? We're all worried about you."

Kimberly slips the innovation under the door and lingers for a long time in the hope of some response from Lorena, but leaves in frustration without receiving one. Once she gets in the car, Lorena shuffles over to the door and examines the innovation as she picks it up, it's bright blue and the words on the page are colored with way too much fruity scented markers, leading her believe that the new three year old made it himself.

Ultimately, she decides to change out of her pity pajamas for fresh clothes and attend the party because she knows Hunter would've wanted Adrian to have the RC monster truck they bought together before he died. So, Lorena grabs the present, then her keys to the Pontiac Firebird and puts on the Army jacket as she walks out the door ready to rejoin the world somewhere between fully living and wishing she was dead.

The party is in full swing by the time Lorena arrives in Trini's backyard at late afternoon, countless children are running around high on sugar as they play with one another or having their faces painted to look like animals while their parents talk on the patio about how well the kids are getting along. The first person to greet her is Adrian, who has giddy excitement in his eyes that he gets from his grandmother Wonder Woman as his face painted like a lion.

"Aunt Rainy! Did you know it's my second birthday party today? My mommies say I'm still three though."

"Huh, I knew something important was going on today and just had to go where everyone was going. Happy birthday, buddy." She kneels down to hug the young boy before showing the toy truck hidden behind her back, she watches as Adrian's face lights up in delight of the present and she receives another close hug in return.

"Thank you, Rainy. I love it so much already." He says while snuggled against the green jacket covering her torso, a jacket he has only seen Hunter wear before. "Why do you have Uncle Hunter's jacket? Did you steal it? Mama says that's bad."

He watches in confusion as Lorena's smile drops and tears begin welling in her eyes, but he's too young to fully understand why, leading Kimberly to come to her defense with an excuse until Lorena comes up with one herself. "That's a very good lesson Kimberly has taught you, but I didn't steal it. Hunter gave it to me before he had to leave so I would keep it safe because he wasn't sure when he was going to be back from his long journey."

Luckily, the child buys it without a second thought and swiftly runs off to play with his new toy as Kimberly walks up to hug Lorena. "That was a nice save back there, Trini and I haven't explained the whole concept of death to him yet, we don't even use the d-word around him out of fear he'll get curious and ask what it means. I'm glad you're here, how have you been?"

"I'm coping." She says with a bitter undertone as her eyes scan the backyard for Diana. "Is Diana here?"

Kimberly knows the relationship between Lorena and Diana didn't end on the best of terms at Hunter's funeral and even though they come from different earths, she has doubts Lorena will want to see Diana in any form across the multiverse. "You can relax, she isn't here anymore. She dropped off her gift and wanted to stay longer until the League called her away on a mission. So, you're free to mingle without fear and we have food, drinks, and cake if you're hungry. Stay away from Jason though, he's pissed about you missing training and monster attacks. I keep telling him that you're still grieving, we're all still grieving."

She nods with a thankful smile and squeezes her hand gently before dissapearing into the sea of adult guest, but Lorena doesn't talk with anyone. Instead, she chooses to sit and sulk in an empty chair at the patio's edge mindlessly picking at the cake on her plate until a familiar voice comes near her. "You're supposed to eat the cake and not just pick at it."

She looks up to see Zack approaching her with his own empty plate. Her relationship with Zack was rocky when they first met because he had a hard time not seeing as Rita when she wore the Green Ranger Armor, but it quickly developed into a sibling like relationship similar to the one she has with Trini because of their shared background of having to leave their countries of birth and immigrate to the US as babies, and they were both there for one another when the last people each connecting to them to those countries passed on from this world.

"You can have it if you like, I don't feel eating right now." Lorena says before passing the cake to Zack when he sits down next to her.

"Thanks, Greenie. Why don't you want to eat, I thought eating was good for the growing green bean inside of you?" He asks with a mouthful of cake, closely watching Lorena's stomach.

"I'm fine, Zack, really. You don't need to worry about me, none of you need to worry about me because I'm just fine coping in the way I am. I'm not going to have a breakdown like you did when your mom died or when Amanda Clarke left you and your daughter!" Lorena snaps in a quiet rage, she knows she crossed a line that shouldn't have been crossed when seeing the look of shock on Zack's face. "I'm sor-"

"Look, I'm going let that slide because of our friendship and I know the pain you're feeling now, but that was way too far. I'm just trying to help you, same as you did when I went off the deep end and wouldn't let anyone in because I thought loneliness was better then confronting my pain, but you helped me see that isn't true by staying with me times were tough. I'm going to give the same advice you once gave me. When you're burning bridges, make sure not to burn the one you're currently standing on for support."

Zack doesn't say anything else, he just looks at her in pity as he stands and takes their plates to the trash, leaving Lorena to deal with her shit alone. By this time, Lorena is pretty much done with this party and people for that matter, and decides to leave just about as quickly as she arrived. She begins walking towards the door when Jason appears in her way with a drink in his hand.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up. If only you showed the same commitment to training or your Ranger duties." He says slightly slurring his words and Lorena can tell that the drink in his hand probably hasn't been his first.

"Jason, I know your pissed at me for not being apart of the team lately and you have every right to be, but there has to be a better place to have this out then a children's birthday party. I promise we'll have this conversation later on at the Ship as a team, just go back to the party and please let me leave."

"She's right, there'll be time later on. Let's not do this in front of the kids." Billy says urgently, grabbing his husband's hand and trying to pull him back into the crowd.

"No, let's." Jason pulls away from Billy and gets right up in Lorena's face as the rest of the Rangers gather around them. "You say we should have this conversation at the Ship as a team, but do you even know what happened to the team in the time you've been cooped up in your house? Angel Grove has had six attacks where we've all almost died every time because we weren't a full coordinated team in the field, and I've started smoking to deal with the stress. You're supposed to be my co-leader, so what's your excuse? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Lorena looks around at her team in the hopes Jason isn't true, but the uncomfortable expressions on their faces tell her all she needs to know. "What do you want me to say, o' fearless leader? Do you want me to say sorry? Because I am. I'm sorry I haven't been apart of this team lately, I'M SORRY FOR NOT WANTING TO SUIT UP IN MY RANGER ARMOR AND SAVE THE FUCKING WORLD LITERAL WEEKS AFTER MY HUSBAND DIED!"

"I'm sorry for ruining your party, Adrian... I shouldn't have come here." The party is totally silent, giving Lorena a chance to see the look of pure shock on everyone's face that her sudden outburst caused as her Ranger Armor forms around her and she jumps towards a safe place to get away from her shame.

Tequila. Lorena blankly stares at a full bottle on her tequila on her coffee table while she sits on her couch in the criss cross position, debating weather she should open the bottle and absolutely ruin her pregnancy to make herself feel better so the painful memories of Hunter stop. She barely pays any attention as Trini bursts into her house ready to confront her until seeing the bottle. "What the hell wa… Please tell me you didn't drink any of that?"

"Not a drop. I couldn't drink it even if I wasn't pregnant. Tequila reminds me of Hunter too much, we got drunk on tequila the night we were first married in Mexico." Lorena's upper body slumps down sideways on the couch, her eyes are still fixed on the bottle until Trini sits on the table to block it. "What are you doing here, Trini?"

"Someone had to make sure your car ended up back in your driveway after you left, I also wanted to know what exactly is going on with you, and don't say you're okay because we know you're not."

"Is Adrian and everyone else okay? I didn't mean for things to get out of hand like that." Lorena asks, trying to deflect attention off herself.

"Billy was able to calm Jason down on the drive home, Zack and Paige are on their way to the trailer park now, and Kimberly is in the middle of explaining death to my son. I'm supposed to be at the store buying children's books to help him better understand the subject, but I'm very concerned about you right now. You never spoke to Zordon about Rita, you haven't been teaching since moving here, and don't me started on your lack of involvement on the team, do you even want to be a Ranger anymore?"

Lorena doesn't hesitate or take a minute to think it over as she pulls out the Green Coin and tosses it in Trini's lap, giving an answer because she doesn't care about her Ranger duites anymore, she doesn't even care about living in the world anymore without Hunter. Trini just sighs, pocketing the Coin and grabbing the tequila then she slowly walks towards the front door to leave Lorena alone in misery, stopping at the door to offer some final words.

"You're not the only one who lost Hunter. You may have lost your husband and the father of your child, but Diana lost her son, the Rangers all lost a friend, and I lost my brother twice. So don't you dare pretend like you're the only one who is grieving because I am too, but I am still standing here ready to keep my promise to Hunter because I don't want to loose you, too."

For the first time in many long weeks, Lorena wakes up the next morning without Rita screaming crippling insults inside her head and she knows it's because her Coin isn't nearby, maybe it's for best if she doesn't ask for it back. The Rangers clearly don't need her and she doesn't want to be apart of the team anymore, so what's the point of involving herself with them now?

All of her negative thoughts swiftly go out the window once she gets up to start her day of sulking around the house, only to stop dead in her tracks when she passes the standing mirror and sees how her stomach has begun to swell outward. She immediately grabs her phone for a picture because she wasn't sure until now that she was progressing, but seeing her stomach this way confirms it without a shadow of a doubt and she couldn't be more overjoyed about it. 

Suddenly the reality of the pregnancy hits her like a truck slamming into a brick wall when she realizes her house is no place to raise her baby, the walls are a stone cold gray color and she just has the most basic things to keep herself alive, so how is she going to do the same for a child? There is so much to do before the baby comes, but Lorena knows she must start with getting own her shit together first by getting a job at Angel Grove High School and apologizing to her friends.

Her fingers tremble in excitement as she types a message in the Ranger chat group along with the photo.  **Greenie: Can everyone please meet me at the Ship? I'll bring treats and I have a surprise.**

The rest of her day is turned up to eleven after that and Lorena must run to keep up with it. She begins by getting dressed in causal business attire for a job interview at the high school as a English teacher, which she receives with flying colors because of her familiarity with the school when she first had a job there years earlier. Now, her breath hitches in fear as she watches the Rangers walk towards her on the cliffs near the Ship.

"Peace offering?" She asks, holding up a box of a one dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. Lorena watches as the angry expressions on everyone's faces slightly soften when they dig into the donuts, but she must do a lot more to earn the team's trust again. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness and I have no excuse for my actions over these weeks, so I won't try to offer one, I will give you all an explanation instead. Rita's been in my head again ever since Hunter died, more than that, she violated me like she once did with Trini. I tried to handle her by myself and ended up alienating my friends in process I can't do that anymore when I need help preparing for the baby growing inside me, I would love to be a full member of this team again, if everyone will still have me."

"Let's vote!" Jason says with the sternness of a leader. "All in favor of Lorena staying on the team as a Ranger, raise your hand."

Billy goes first, responding by running to hug Lorena tightly, even though he doesn't often show it, he is the most affectionate member of the team. Zack raises his hand immedatily after that, followed by Kimberly, then Jason, who has an apologetic look while raising his hand. "Lorena, I'm sorry for the way I acted towards you at the party yesterday, I was a drunk asshole just looking for someone to blame for the team getting hurt and it shouldn't have been anyone, most of all, you."

"I'm sorry, too. I should've come to you all after hearing Rita again and we could've thought of ways to get rid of her while helping each other take down threats together. We've always done everything as a team and that shouldn't have changed when... people we leave us so suddenly because together we are more, we're family."

"Yeah, together we are more, which means you're going to need this back." Trini says, tossing Lorena's Coin back to her. "I missed you as the team's co-leader, I mean, who else can so effectively knock Jason down a peg when he gets on his leadership high horse?"

Lorena catches her Coin with ease before she is brought to her knees in pain of Rita returning to her head, the Rangers are quickly down at her side to help her stand as she looks at them with a mixture of fear and euphoria of having her Coin back, which worries everyone while Billy speaks up. "Are you okay? You almost look happy to have Rita back."

"Her evil is necessary sometimes and I can handle her as long as I have you kids by my side. Please, don't leave me, I still need you all. Zack, I'm sorry for what I said about your mother and estranged wife. Trini, Kim, I sorry for snapping at Adrian's party yesterday, I can stop by and explain what happened to Hunter if you think that will help him understand."

"Did I do anything to offend you, Billy? Last time I checked, our relationship is still strong as ever, right?" The Blue Ranger nods and gives some happy claps to her question before her eyes fall on Jason as he attempts to light a cigarette in the blowing wind. "Can I talk with you alone, please? Leader to leader."

The unlit cigarette stays between his lips as they walk away from everyone until Lorena reaches out to throw it on the ground in disgust, much to Jason's surprise and anger. "What the hell, Lorena?! I thought we were good, don't tell me you're going to demand I quit like the others have?"

"Well I wouldn't be the team's designated mom friend if I didn't. Now, give me all your packs and the lighter!" Jason curses under his breath, but he hands them over begrudgingly, watching in horror as Lorena lights the packs on fire and throws them in a nearby trashcan with the lighter itself. "You can buy another pack and lighter if you want, but you won't come anywhere near me or my kid, it's bad for their development, understand?"

Jason laughs quietly when Lorena sounds like his parents, her tone is stern while also being gentle and caring compared to theirs. In a instant, his strong leadership side shatters and he launches himself into Lorena for a hug, letting all of his pain pour out. "Where were you when the team needed you? Where were you when I need you?"

Lorena sighs, allowing the others to join in while she holds Jason close in a friendly hug and reminds herself that the Rangers are still just kids barely in the real world and who were never meant to become child soldiers like herself and Hunter. "I'm so sorry, Jason. I shouldn't have left any of you to make impossible decisions without me there to back you up, I just needed more time to mourn Hunter, but I'm here now and I'm not going to leave again."

"We all good here, Greenie?" Zack asks Lorena from the embrace after a long time passes. "Everyone got the picture of your growing stomach, we're all proud of you for beginning the slow process of moving on past broken. What do you need from us to help your little Green Bean develops properly?"

"My house has been a complete mess since I moved in, it's no place to raise a child comfortably or safely. So, I didn't just bring donuts with me, I also brought colorful paint swatches and home furnishing magazines. I would like your help going through them during breaks in today's training session because I want my kid to grow up in a colorful, loving home free of sadness or pain, could you please come by my place after your own kids are asleep and help me begin to paint my interior walls and start ordering furniture online, please?"

"We promise to be there. We wouldn't miss it." Jason says simply with a reassuring smile, taking her hand before the six Rangers jump down to the Ship as more than friends, as family. She breathes deeply while she splashes down in the Ship's entrance pool and allows the cool waters to spread throughout her entire body as she feels the same calm for the present yet uncertainty for future she felt on the day she first became a Power Ranger.

Lorena quickly falls back into sync with her team as if she never left, the team develops a comfortable rhythm when Trini partners with Kimberly and Jason partners with Billy while Zack alternates between Alpha 5 and Lorena herself when she isn't mentoring the Rangers on proper teamwork and battle techniques from her own extensive past experiences as a warrior.

At the end of the day, the Rangers are sweaty and layers of cave dirt cover their aching bodies as they go their separate ways for a few hours, Billy and Jason go shopping for supplies to renovate Lorena's house, Zack goes home to be with Paige until she falls asleep, and Lorena goes with Kimberly and Trini to make amends for a mistake. Now, Lorena stands at Adrian's open bedroom door as she knocks to enter. "Can I come in, please, buddy? I need to apologize for yesterday."

He nods and allows Lorena to walk in while a book named 'What's Heaven?' rests on his lap, no doubt a one of the books his parents bought in reaction to her outburst yesterday. She closes the door and takes a seat at the foot of his bed before taking him into a hug, the boy shakes in her arms as he asks the only question on his mind. "My mommies say when someone dies, they go to sleep and don't wake up no matter how much we want them to, where did Uncle Hunter go to sleep so that he isn't coming back?"

Lorena sighs, her eyes are searching for something to play with as a distraction during this difficult conversation until she grabs a baseball on Adrian's nightstand. "Hunter is in a place called Heaven, it's mentioned in your new books and it's where all the good souls go when they leave us in this world. The dead never really leave us so long as we keep mementoes to remember them, that's why I wear Hunter's jacket all the time. Do you remember when Hunter gave you this ball for your birthday last year?

Adrian nods again, and Lorena places the ball in his hands. "Then I want you to hold onto this ball because it's one of the many ways to remember him along pictures and stories, only then will Hunter come back to us. That's is how I will have my own child remember their heroic father one day." She says while looking at the troubled expression still on his face. "What is it? You can tell me."

"My mommies, you, and my uncles are all going to leave me one day, aren't you? You're not special like Grandma Diana. What about me? What if I fall asleep tonight and don't wake up?" He asks in a tiny whimper while tears stream down his cheeks until Lorena reaches out to wipe them away softly with her thumbs.

"Yes, we don't have the same abilities as her, but we are powerful and special in our way, so don't count us out. Besides, all of those days you're worried about are a very long ways off from now and you have so many more happy memories to make with your parents and the rest of us, you still have to meet my child when they come into world in the next few months. Now, you need to sleep because we all need rest." Lorena reaches behind Adrian to fluff his pillow before kissing his forehead and walking towards the door. "Goodnight."

"Do you miss Uncle Hunter? How come you don't talk about him much anymore?" Adrian asks inquisitively, catching Lorena off guard before she has a chance to leave.

"Of course I do, I miss him so much everyday and the reason why I don't talk about him much anymore is because when I do speak of him, it brings up happy memories that have turned into sad ones now that he's gone. One of my favorite things to remember about him is how he loved everyone and there is no sadness when you love someone." Adrian seems to have drifted off to her words, so she places the book on the nightstand and turns on the nightlight before going to leave the boy to sleep.

Kimberly and Trini quickly scatter as Lorena silently walks out to get something to drink in the kitchen, and she can instantly tell they had been listening against the door when she sees the tearful look on their faces as they run to hug her, much to her surprise. "What, did I say something wrong to Adrian?"

"No, we just know you're totally ready to be mother. You're kid's going to be so lucky to have you as a parent because whoever they're going to be, they're going to absolutely adore you." Kimberly says as she and Trini force her to the ground in a powerful hug while they sit in a huddle of love and support. "You handled bedtime like a total pro."

Lorena breaks down in tears and hugs them back tightly when she feels the full weight of her words mixed with her own pregnancy hormones, but she is unsure if she can be a good mother to her child without Hunter as the living father. "God, I hope so. I'm scared to do this parenting thing without Hunter, what if I screw them worse than us? I mean, we're all misfits with very little impulse control, who fight crime using multi-colored armor and a giant robot, how is that not gonna fuck up my kid?"

"Hey, did you forget that Zack is raising Paige by himself and we're all there for him when he needs us for anything in the world, that won't change with you. I promise we'll be there for you, Lorena." The next a few minutes pass by with them remaining on the floor until each of their phones buzz with texts from Jason. "The boys are ready at your house with supplies and food to spend the rest of the night in renovation mode, so we better get going."

"Wait, if we're all at my house, who's gonna watch Adrian?" Lorena asks as Trini and Kimberly help her stand up.

"I called my mom, she's ten minutes away and has agreed to take care of him until we get back in the morning. So, we're good to go." Trini watches in disappointment as Lorena's expression goes cold when Diana is mentioned, and she hates the reason why. "You guys are going to have make amends before another grandchild is born, right? Diana didn't know you being so cold towards her when you came over to my earth until I was forced to tell her what happened to Hunter. It wasn't as bad the second time, but she wants make sure you're okay."

"It's not that simple with the version of Diana on my earth, Trini. When I left the funeral, she was going to abandon the world to their own devices without a care to see what happens. I won't raise my child in a world where their grandmother isn't out there fighting for love and peace, so I'm not going back to her when everything's so easy here."

The other two women both give a raised eye of skepticism, and she groans in annoyance. "Well, easy is a relative term, I just don't want to go back to that earth when it holds so many memories for me that I'd rather forget, especially Themyscira."

"Look, I understand where you're coming from, more than you know. Well, I also know what my mother is like when she looses someone. She wasn't Wonder Woman for a year after our version of Hunter died until she had to step in to save us when Rita first attacked, then your Hunter came to this earth, but she was fucking miserable up to that point and the Diana on your earth is experiencing that same pain right now, so go to her because she needs you more than both of you realize."

Even though they parted on less than favorable terms, Lorena will always love any version of Diana like another mother and she would never fully abandon her, not after everything they've done together. So, she sighs heavily and walks toward the door. "Fine, I'll go back to my earth and talk with her soon. Now, we can please go fix my house together? You guys promised."

The Rangers all keep that promise made that night in spades by spending their weekends colorfully painting and baby proofing Lorena's house between their day jobs and Ranger duties while attending to her every need. As Lorena's pregnancy progresses over time, her stomach balloons more and more, it also means going to more doctor appointments with Trini and Kimberly, who coach her on things she's unfamiliar on because they've both went through this before when Trini was pregnant with Adrian by surrogate.

The boys are different story, she finally caves in after weeks of pestering and brings each of them once and only once, Jason gets weirded out by the whole pregnancy process being described in great detail and throws up in front of all the expecting mothers in the waiting room as they leave, Billy quickly becomes curious about the response of the sprinkler system and decides to test it with a handheld blow torch hidden in his pocket, Zack reacts calmly when he goes, and Lorena figures it's because he's been through this before with Amanda Clark and Paige, but he asks not to come back when the experience brings up too many memories of spending too much time in hospitals during his mother's final days.

Soon, Rita's voice is completely gone and Lorena is the size of a watermelon, she can't stand up or sit down without help from the others, none of her normal clothes fit anymore, especially Hunter's jacket, she calls the Rangers in the middle of the night with strange pregnancy cravings like spicy pineapple chocolate pizza from Jungle Karma, the others try not to laugh at her penguin-like waddle when she's in her serious mentorship role, and most of her time usually spent training in the Pit is now spent napping on a bed in the med-bay while the others train in her place.

* * *

Five months later.

"Hey Lorena, wake up. We've finished painting and everything else for the baby, take a look."

Lorena wakes to the sound of Billy's voice, followed by the sight of his face smiling down her when he helps her sit up on the floor of her child's nursery room. It's the final weeks of her pregnancy with her daughter, meaning she's tired and ready to have her baby so much that she tends to fall asleep in one place only to wake up in completely different place thanks to her team carrying her everywhere. "How did I get home? I thought we were all training at the Ship."

"We were, until Zordon told us we're done for the day, but you were already asleep in the Ship. So, Jason and Zack carried you to your car and kept you company in the backseat while I drove behind Kim and Trini's car as they led us back here. More importantly, we finished setting up the nursery, what do you think?"

Most of the walls are painted a soft, calming purple with gentle blue waves and there's a pink wooden crib with a cot in one corner near a toy chest that has a collection of blankets and teddy bears on top, Hunter's old rocking chair rests against a wall with pictures of Lorena and the Rangers interspersed with pictures of Lorena and Hunter so their daughter will always know the great man her father was, but one of the walls is covered by a tarp and she can't see what it's hiding. "Oh guys, I love it."

"Wait till you see this." Kimberly pulls the tarp away and tears well in Lorena's eyes at the beautiful sight before her. The entire wall is painted blue to look like the sky with many clouds colored in with their Ranger colors, red, pink, blue, black, yellow, and green. The mural continues to the floor where there are seven daisy flowers that have been colored in the same way sticking out of the grass, her green flower is crossing its own stem with the stem of a single white flower making the shape a heart and she knows it was for Hunter and the love they shared.

"Trini and I came up with the idea of having something special for your kid's room after doing something similar for Adrian and these guys helped me execute it to perfection."

Lorena's heart swells with love for her friends and what they did for her by making her house into more of a home she would be happy to raise her daughter in when she knows they're aren't alone anymore. "It's perfect, I love it even more now, but let's see what the little Green Bean thinks of it." She says, winking at Zack when she adopts his nickname for the baby as her own.

Ever since the baby developed feet, she's been kicking at Lorena's womb like it's a karate dojo, her kid definitely has a warrior's sprit like Hunter, but it's a strange form of communication between the two of them. A gentle kick means she's happy or agrees, an aggressive kick means she's angry or upset. Luckily, the kick is a happy one and Lorena couldn't agree more. "She loves it, too."

The Rangers all help Lorena to her feet and they have a group hug in celebration, it took many weeks, but the house is finally absolutely perfect for two. Now, they get to enjoy the spoils of their small personal victory with pizza, drinks, and each other's company, they order two pizzas to share between the five of them and another pizza just for Lorena because they figure it's best not to take food away from a woman who's eating for two people.

Now, the six of them are lazily sitting on patio chairs in Lorena's backyard watching the afternoon pass above their heads before they have go home to their children. "So, with everything else done, what's next on your pregnancy bucket-list?" Zack asks before taking a sip of his beer.

"Going to see my mother-in-law." She says with a glance at Trini that shows Lorena is ready to go back to her earth for awhile. "Since I already cleared the air with Diana on this earth, I need to go back to my own and do the same with my Diana. It's time to give her the same help you guys gave me, then I'll be at peace when my baby comes into this world."

"Do you want me to go with you? I'd be happy to help you get past my mother's stubbornness."

"No, I think it's best if I talk to her alone since I won't know what to expect and I don't want anyone to be hurt if she lashes out, and you've got Ranger duties to protect the Crystal with the team. I would like to leave tomorrow, if that's okay with my co-leader?"

"You're good to go, I'll lead things here while you're gone for a few days." Jason says believing in his abilities to become the team's solo leader again without Lorena to help guide him with her years of prior experience. He doesn't have a chance to say anything more on the matter when the six Power Coins buzz within their pockets, telling all of them that a new threat has arrived for the Zeo Crystal. "Come on, we gotta go to the ship."

Five of the six Rangers easily stand and walk towards the front of the house while Lorena struggles to even get out of her chair with her enormous belly until she calls them back to help her. "Wait for me, I'm still good to fight with you right now."

"Hold on, someone has to help Lorena. I'll catch up with you guys at the Ship." Zack goes back to her while the others carry on to the Ship, he sees her still struggling and decides to give her a hand back into the house where she'll be safe and sound in the living room despite her protests. "We appreciate you wanting to suit up with the rest of us, but it's too dangerous for you while you're pregnant, so you're going to park it here and watch TV."

He grabs the remote and turns on the news to see footage of six mysterious Rangers in the center of Angel Grove wearing the same colored armor they do, but it seems to be twisted and broken like Rita's armor was. Just looking at the other Rangers on the screen causes Zack's hands to shake in fear, but he has help the others. He kisses Lorena's head while she's on the couch before heading towards the door.

Lorena becomes fed up with being less and less helpful because of her pregnancy, and allows Zack hear it before he can fully leave her behind. "Zackary Kwan Taylor, you best get your ass back here and carry me to the Ship right now, or no more free donuts from me, mister! I'm going to the Ship to see this new threat, with or without your help, it's your choice!"

Zack sighs, walking back to pick Lorena up bridal style using his Ranger strength, he doesn't like bringing her into danger, but maybe she can help them in the field while remaining on the Ship. "Fine, I'll bring you to the others and they'll tell you the same thing I am, and was it really necessary to say my full name like I was in trouble?"

"Team's mom friend, remember? Now, let's go!"

They arrive the Ship and Zack sets Lorena down in the med-bay while she remains close enough to the Rangers as Zordon explains the situation with a heavy, regretful tone of voice. while an image of the mysterious Rangers appear in the Morphing Gird. "I commend the six of you for your brave service over the years, you have faced many threats together and saved the world many times over. Now, I fear you're about to face your greatest enemies yet. The first Psychotic Power Rangers."

There are expressions of shock from everyone on the Ship and they have a million questions, how can there be evil Rangers out there? Where did they come from? But Billy is the first person to try and make sense of the news. "Hi, I'm sorry, what do you mean by 'first Rangers?' Who are these Psycho Rangers and why do they wear our colors?"

"When the six Power Coins were first created, their power was very raw and unstable, driving the first Rangers to madness when they were used, forcing my team to refine the power and destroy the Rangers, it was our first victory as a team and and family. As Rita grew more desperate for power in the next few years, she cloned the original five Rangers and sent them off in the universe to do her bidding. However, the new Psycho Green Ranger remains a mystery because Rita took that power for herself to turn against us."

"Okay, that's surreal to say the least. How are we supposed to defeat evil Rangers who were trained like us? Please tell us you have a plan, Jason?" Kimberly asks, trying to shake the idea of having an evil counterpart because pink doesn't look good on evil people, only to see Jason is just as shaken as she is.

Everyone looks to Jason as he stares into the distance for answers that don't seem to be coming, they've never faced evil Rangers before, to their memory, so how are they going to do it now? "I-I don't know how to fight this, but we have try before these fake-ass Rangers terrorize the town and the people's faith in us as the real Power Rangers is lost. Trini, can you please call Diana and ask if she can give us some backup? We need to move."

"I'm coming, too." Lorena demands while trying to stand on her own, only to be brought back down to a sitting position by the weight of the baby. "Can someone please help me up? If these people are as dangerous as Zordon says, then we're going to need all hands on deck. Now, I can still pull off the pregnant Green Ranger look and the baby will be protected by the armor, so I'm going to help."

"No, I was just like you, but I had to take a break from being a Ranger during the final months of pregnancy with Adrian, allowing my mom to basically take over my spot on the team and you're going to do the same thing. We just want to make sure you and the baby are safe, and if Diana was here right now, she would tell you the same thing herself because she's been through this before." Trini says firmly and the rest of the team stands with her in agreement.

"Why doesn't Lorena just lay her egg in a nest until it hatches and take care of it later so she can be a Ranger now?... What, is that not how humans produce offspring?" Alpha pipes up from the background, drawing the attention of the Rangers as they look at him in disbelief before collectively shaking their heads. "Hmm, it would seem I need more research on your primitive little species, please excuse me."

Alpha scurries away to another section of the ship as the argument continues with Lorena trying to convince the others to let her go with them. "I'm pregnant, not dead! Stop treating me like I'm incapable of doing physical things because I'm a week away giving birth and let me help the team fight these Rangers."

"Do you have a death wish, or what else are you trying to prove?" Jason shouts, his tone is angry, but he has an undertone of caring. He walks over to sit in the med-bay and the other Rangers are quick to follow. Lorena allows them to sit on the bed with her as he continues. "Lorena, we've all forgiven you for not being a Ranger after Hunter died, there's no need to keep making up for lost time. The best thing you can do for the team now is stay here where it's safe for you and the baby so we don't have worry about you in the field. We'll be fine with Diana giving us backup, just stay here, please?"

Lorena sighs, trying to ignore the instant light kicks in her womb that says her baby agrees with the Rangers. "Fine, I'll stay behind. But I need something to do instead, otherwise I'll be constantly worried about you all. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

The rest of the Rangers morph into their armor and head towards the exit while Billy hangs back for a second before catching up with the others. "You're in luck, I was finally able to convince Zordon and Alpha to add Wi-Fi to the Ship, giving you a chance to finish your Netflix queue, or you can peek through the multiverse now that I've fixed your device to be baby safe. I hopes this helps with your boredom."

He walks to the exit, but turns back before leaving to give Lorena a thumbs-up and she gives one in return. Billy quickly rejoins the remaining Rangers at the cliffs overlooking Angel Grove and they all jump into danger to defend the town once again, unsure of what to expcet on the other side. The town is eerily silent as the Rangers go down Main Street towards their evil counterparts, people walk on the sidewalk going about their lives or stopping to take pictures of these strange cosplayers, completely unaware of what's really happening as Jason steps forward to address the Psycho Red Ranger.

"We know who you are. Now, please get away from these people and tell us what you want." He says, trying to hide his fear behind a stern voice, almost pleading with them to leave the town in peace before anyone is hurt.

"Well, we're certainly not Power Rangers if that's what you're thinking, little boy. We're the Psycho Rangers, we're faster than you, smarter than you, stronger than you, but we're evil and we're going to enjoy killing you and ripping the Zeo Crystal from the ground for our master." He says with a sinister laugh, hiding his identity through a helmet and voice scrambler. He goes to attack Jason on his own before Psycho Green reaches out with one hand to choke the other Ranger without mercy.

"What did I tell you about speaking out of turn?" Psycho Green is different than Lorena, having a man's build and tone of voice, standing taller than the rest of his team as he throws his teammate away like a useless rag doll, then he turns his attention to Jason and the Rangers with a murderous glare through his helmet. "I will make this simple, Zordon, so I only have to torture your team a little. Where is Rita?"

While on the ship, Lorena paces back and forth in front of Zordon's wall trying to ignore her baby's happy kicks as the worry for the other Rangers and the silence around her reaches beyond a breaking point. Finally, she punches the wall to hear some noise and slightly calm her nerves, but that does so such when she finds herself needing to leave this stressful situation of being a Ranger while her newborn will be in this world soon. How is she supposed to balance being a good Power Ranger and an even better mother?

Diana would know the answer, she's been the ultimate hero for years while she raised Hunter and Trini to be good, kind people in society. She would surely have some advice for this expecting mother if she wasn't off helping the Rangers deal with their psycho counterparts, leaving Lorena with the only option of returning to her earth to talk with her version of Diana, a place she never wanted to go to because of memories it holds, but what other choice does she have, and doesn't Diana deserve to know about her granddaughter?

"Zordon, I need to return to my earth and meet an old friend. I'll be gone for a few hours, a day at most, please have the Rangers call me if they need anything." She says while grabbing a travel backpack from her bed in the med-bay and cycling through different earths on her teleporter device until finding the right one to open a portal. Zordon nods, then Lorena looks down at the baby inside her before jumping through to the other side. "What do you say, Green Bean, are you up for a little adventure to meet your abuela?"

* * *

Lorena lands in a London alleyway and immediately feels cold on a earth that's no longer her home anymore. Why is so difficult for her to be back here? It looks exactly like the earth she's been familiar with for the last nine months. She plugs in headphones and puts her iPod on shuffle in the hopes of the baby liking her taste in music when she's born because Lorena finds the music of Jaymes Young and Phoebe Ryan to be calming as she makes her way to Diana's old London apartment to see if she ever made it back to humanity.

She is halfway to Diana's place when she sees black smoke rising from a burning building maybe a block away from her current position and she rushes there as fast as she can. Upon reaching the front of the crowd watching the small apartment building go up in humongous flames while the majority of people get out safely, she receives a hard kick inside her womb, as if the baby is demanding Lorena to risk both of their lives to help rescue those still trapped by the fire.

"You hush, what do you know? The team was right, I was an idiot to put you in any danger to prove that I'm still a Ranger, so I'm not going risk your safety anymore. I'm sure emergency services and other heroes will soon arrive to help people and put out the fire because that's what heroes like your father and grandmother do."

"Help, my son is still in there, I've got to get him!" Says a distraught father, who drops his grocery bags that he probably bought in the time it took the building to catch ablaze in favor of running into the building to save his child until Lorena holds him back using her Atlantean/Ranger strength. "Lady, if you're not going to help me, then get out of my way!"

"Sir, you need to calm down, please. You can't save your son if you die the process. Stay here and take deep breaths while we for emergency crews to arrive because you're stressing me out and stress isn't good for my kid. Just trust me that emergency crews are coming, they will save your son." Lorena says calmly and the man reads the situation and calms down. Lorena hopes that she'll soon be proven correct, otherwise she will have to step in herself.

She feels the ground shake beneath her feet and Lorena knows the building may only have thirty seconds to a minute before it collapses entirely, forcing her to disregard safety and take action. Her prayers for other heroes to arrive are soon answered when Wonder Woman crashes lands on the roof and through a window to begin the work of fearlessly saving the last remaining person in glorious fashion, even as the building comes crashing down.

She strides out of the rubble like the compassionate and badass hero she's always been, soot and ash covers her entire body while a five year old boy is nuzzled comfortably against her collarbone before she carefully hands the boy over to his father as she allows the crowd to take all the pictures they want. Only with a closer look, does Lorena realize the woman in the colorful Amazonian armor isn't Diana at all. Instead, it's her twin sister Cassandra acting as Wonder Woman in her place.

"That's quite a brave boy you have there, he was very determined to get back you." Cassandra says, handing the boy over to his father as camera phones snap around them before she recognizes Lorena in the crowd and gives her a subtle wink, as if to say hello before jumping off to where Lorena was originally headed, and Lorena knows she must follow.

Lorena says something to her baby as she races off as fast her pregnancy feet will carry her. "I think we've missed a lot more over these months then I first thought, things are only going to become more complicated from here. Hold on tight, Bean."

It takes Lorena a long time to arrive at the apartment because of the restrictive and slow movements caused by her pregnancy, but she finally gets there after Cassandra has changed out the armor for her civilian clothes and she's now resting on the couch with Roxanne as Lorena knocks on the door. She is instantly greeted by the two women, who wrap her a loving, almost bone crushing hug. "It's good to see you both again, but could please let me go? A wired side-effect of my pregnancy is, I kind of loose a small bit of my bladder control if I'm squeezed too tightly."

Both women let go of her, then Roxanne goes into the kitchen to get a drink for their guest as Cassandra helps Lorena onto the couch. In truth, Lorena doesn't know Roxanne and Cassandra as well as she should, her only interaction with them has been through having Diana or Hunter by her side, but she has always loved how theytreat her like family regardless of the short time they've spent together.

Cassandra is quick to make sure Lorena is comfortable on the couch as Roxanne brings tea for everyone before sitting down with them. "It's good to see you too, child. I was surprised to see again outside that building after such a long time and I'm sure you have questions as to why I was wearing my sister's armor."

"Yeah, you looked spectacular in her armor by the way, but I was kind of expecting Wonder Woman to be..." Lorena trails off in fear of offending Cassandra by insinuating that she is a lesser hero than Diana when she has great respect for both of them and other Amazons.

"To be Diana instead of me?" Cassandra asks, finishing her sentence when she reads Lorena's uncomfortable expression. "It's okay, I want her to be Wonder Woman, too. After you left the funeral, we all stayed on Themyscira for an extended period to grieve until the world reached a level of hatred and disorder that could no longer be ignored. I pleaded with my sister to return to the world as a hero, but she wouldn't hear me, so I asked my mother for permission to take up the mantle in her place because humanity will always need Wonder Woman to be guide them towards a better tomorrow." She says, unknowingly quoting Hunter from his final letter.

Cassandra and Roxanne look at each other lovingly while holding hands before turning back to Lorena. "In order to maintain the illusion of Diana still being around as Wonder Woman and to protect my family, I must save the world from the shadows or obscure my face when I'm seen up close, such as the case of the fire this afternoon. Lorena, please don't tell anyone who I really am, for the safety of my wife and children."

"Of course, I know all about keeping secrets to protect my loved ones, so your secrets are safe with me. Just tell me, have either of you spoken to Diana recently? Is she okay living on Themyscira over these past few months? I haven't had spoken to her since I left the funeral, so I'm very worried about her."

Both women have a look of hesitance on their faces, which Lorena worries even more as Roxanne leans forward to answer her question "As far as we know, she's still on the island, but she's basically disappeared from the pubic eye since the funeral Now, she's only spoken about in hushed rumors as the worry for her safety increases."

Their words is all Lorena needs to hear in order to convince her that she never should've allowed her relationship with Diana to end on Themyscira, she should've fought tooth and nail to rebuild things between them like she did with the Rangers, and she must go back to the island to fix everything she broke and left behind. "Cassandra, can you please take me to Themyscira? I need to see her."

"No disrespect to you, but I don't think it's a good idea, kid." Roxanne warns sternly. "She's closed herself off for a reason and the only person who knows Diana's possible location is Hippolyta. Even if you can convince Hippolyta to share the location, I doubt Diana wants any reminders of Hunter, and God only knows how she'll react when seeing how pregnant you are with Hunter's child."

"I know, I've run our reunion conversation in my head countless times now and I'm totally frightened by her possible reaction to my pregnancy, but as her daughter-in-law, I have to try. Maybe seeing how far along I am with the baby will be enough to convince her to return to man's world in order to protect her granddaughter and all other children in the world. Hunter once told me of how Hippolyta was able to convince her to do the same thing when he was just six months old."

"Okay, I will prepare a sailboat tonight and we'll leave in a few hours whenever you're ready." Cassandra nods and helps Lorena towards the guest bedroom when a look of exhaustion can be seen in her eyes, and Lorena doesn't fight her on this. Between being pregnant, and all the other events of the day combined with the threat of these Psycho Rangers, Lorena will gladly fall into a warm bed whenever it's offered to her.

She falls asleep almost instantly while clutching the area around her stomach to keep her baby warm and safe from the outside world as she feels like the final piece of her life is about to fall back into place. Hours later, Lorena quickly learns that her heavy sleep patterns caused by her pregnancy have followed her to this alternate earth because she wakes up on a boat being sailed by Cassandra towards the hopeful lights of Themyscira, and Lorena feels a happy kick from her daughter because they both they're home.

* * *

"Why didn't you announce your arrival when your boat came into the docks? I would've sent someone to collect your bags and I could've given you assistance up here." Hippolyta has a look of deep concern as she sees Lorena struggling to move with her pregnancy and rushes to help her sit down in a chair beside her own Amazonian throne.

"Thank you Hippolyta, but the walk up here wasn't too bad with my Ranger abilities and Atlantean physiology, exercise is good for the baby. Can I get some water though? I think my vision is beginning to blur." Lorena waves off her concern as she sits down and tries getting her breath back from a long journey.

Hippolyta quickly reaches for the jug of water and pours a cup for Lorena and herself. She watches in amazement as the young woman proceeds to drink in the entire cup in a matter of seconds to quench her thirst, but she must push down her wonder to address something on her mind since she learned of Lorena's pregnancy. "With the imminent birth of your child, it is only right that I offer you and your baby the same gifts I gave Hunter by saying that your child will always be welcomed on Themyscira with open arms regardless of their gender, I will also have a rocking chair made as the first of many gifts to be made in their honor."

"You know my daughter is going to be half-Atlantean, right? Are you sure she's welcome here as a hybrid child?" Hippolyta nods without hesitation or question because Lorena is family, and her child will be too. Lorena is in complete shock over the Amazonian Queen's generosity as she reaches over to hug her. "Thank you, Hippolyta. It means so much coming from you... But I didn't come here to receive gifts, I met up with Cassandra in man's world and she told me about Diana, so I'm here to help her. How is she?"

In response to her question, Hippolyta searches a small table for a folded piece of paper and hands it to Lorena. She unfolds it to see a child's drawing of Hippolyta holding hands with Diana and a young Hunter as they walk in a meadow of colorful flowers while clouds, a bright rainbow, and a smiling sun shines in the background behind them.

Lorena notices how Hippolyta's breaks and the tears streaming down her cheeks as she explains the picture. "Hunter drew me that on the day he and Diana first left for man's world as a child, he said if I missed them while they were away, I could look at it and know they would return to my side one day. Now, I look at it everyday in hopes of Hunter coming back while the flame on his casket lighting his way to the afterlife has gone out and cannot be relit, no matter how hard we try. The flame is supposed to honor him as the great warrior and kinder man he was in life, and that makes me miss him so much more."

Moments pass and Lorena allows Hippolyta a chance to compose herself before she wraps her a comforting hug they both need right now, they stay in each other's arms until they calm down and Hippolyta wipes the tears away from Lorena's cheeks. "Thank you being here child, we need you now, especially Diana. Hunter's death has affected all of us, Diana most of all, she eats weeks at a time, doesn't train with her sisters anymore, and hasn't left her bed since the funeral. I know her god abilities give her enough energy so she doesn't have to eat or sleep, but I'm her mother and I'm worried. Lorena, if you can help her in any way, then you have my permission to do so."

"I will try, you have my word." Lorena promises with all of her heart. "Is she held up in her room at the royal palace?" She begins to walk towards the palace until Hippolyta calls her back with truly heartbreaking words delivered in a truly heartbreaking tone.

"Diana isn't in her room, she's in his."

Lorena sighs while she slowly walks towards Hunter's old room, she should've allowed Trini to come with her like she wanted to. At least with Trini and Lorena together, the impossible task of talking a lonely Demigod down from her cloud of sadness would've been a little easier. Now, she can't run from this anymore as she takes a deep breath and opens the door into a pitch black room.

Diana immediately squints and shields her eyes from the sudden incoming light with the pillow on the bed, and Lorena can tell that Diana hasn't seen any light in days to maybe even weeks, her eyes adjust and she sees Lorena like some angel of death come to take her away to her son while Lorena sees her so unlike the strong wonderful woman she has always known and it absolutely breaks her heart as she steps forward to care for an old friend.

"Hello, Diana."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this first chapter and I hope to entertain with this series like I did with the previous one. I hope I didn't depress you guys too much because that's never my intention, I just want to tell good stories. You're comments and kudos are greatly welcome and if you want to tell me off, you can do so on tumblr at travasourus-rex.


	2. Old Wounds.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lorena finally confronts Diana in hopes of bringing both of them peace, only to realize it's easier said then done when they're transported another dangerous earth while the Rangers fight their psycho counterparts back home, but an unforeseen event brings everyone together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be jumping between different earths all over this chapter with a lot of doppelgangers, so I will differentiate everything with titles like I did with the last chapter and chapter 7 of A Prince's Legacy. This chapter will have a lot more action than the first. 
> 
> Chapter title is based on the song by Jake Scott of the same name.

* * *

Diana's Universe, London-23 years ago.

It's no surprise that being a superhero is difficult for everyone who decides to put on a colorful costume and fight for the good of humanity, especially for someone like Diana. Not only does she have to deal with threats big and small on a daily basis, but also sexist naysayers and other critics who believe she can't be a strong hero just because she is a woman. Most days, Diana carries on unaffected by their harsh words and on other days, she falls into bed in tears as she wonders if anything she does ever makes a difference.

Yesterday was one of those bad days, but she can already tell it's going to a better tomorrow when she wakes up in her bed to muffled voice of Clark Kent speaking to her son through the door, following by the constant sound of dishes shaking on a tray. "Buddy, we have to be quiet now because it's supposed be a surprise. Do you need any help with that big tray?"

"I can handle it, Uncle Clark, thank you. Can you grab the door, please?"

At the sound of Hunter's voice, Diana quickly opens her eyes and fully sits up because she knows what's coming seconds before Clark opens the door and allows Hunter to enter the room carrying a large tray of breakfast foods in his tiny four year old hands. She watches in a state of half conciseness as Hunter lays the tray on the foot of the bed, then climbs up himself and places it in her lap.

"Oh, lovely, what do I owe the pleasure of having breakfast in bed? Did you make it yourself Little One?" She asks, looking at the tray of fried eggs, a small stack of pancakes, a couple of bacon strips, and two pieces of brunt black toast. The meal appears to be very thrown together in a very quick fashion, but Diana appreciates the effort Hunter displayed as she pulls him close and kisses his cheek over and over.

"I made the toast, then Uncle Clark suddenly came by for some reason and made the rest of the food by himself, so I had time to make your moms day card instead." He searches the tray for a homemade maroon colored card with a hand drawn Wonder Woman crest on the front, she gives Clark a thankful look for coming by and saving Hunter from hurting himself or burning down her kitchen before she opens the card and reads the inscription.  **Mama, you are very special to the Wonder Woman, but only I know how special you are to me as my Wonder Mom, you're simply the best mom there is and I love you for always cutting the icky crusts off my sandwiches. Happy moms day.**

Hunter receives another round of Diana's loving kisses all over his face as a reward for everything he's done this morning and everything else he does to impress her with each passing day of their lives together. "Wait, I have something else for you, mama, something we can share!" He says through the giggles. Clark hands her a slim gift box before leaving the room, which holds two matching maroon t-shirts for herself and Hunter reading, 'she's my Wonder Mom' on his shirt and 'he's my Wonder Boy' on her shirt in gold pacifico font.

The shirts are not ones Diana has seen anywhere, leading her to believe Hunter had them custom made with Clark's help, which warms her heart even more because the idea came from her son's young, creative mind. "You certainly are my little Wonder Boy. I love the gifts almost as much as I love you." She kisses his forehead before slipping the shirt over her pajamas while Hunter puts his own shirt on, then crawls under the blankets near his mother.

"It's you day, mama. What adventures do you have planned for us?"

"Let's just stay here in bed today. Just the two of us together because I think that sounds perfect, what do you say, Little One?" Diana grabs the remote on her nightstand and snuggles Hunter close to her side as the TV turns on to cartoons to keep him entertained long enough for her to have breakfast. It's simple and it's all she needs right now. Yes, today is going to be a good day.

"Sorry, Mother. I can't stay for long. Death has come to take me away from you again, and you need to get up now, the world needs you more then I do." Hunter suddenly transforms from a child to a fully grown man who is bleeding and bruised beyond recognition, his voice becomes ragged as he struggles to breathe with a sword protruding from his chest. The world around them begins to fade away into pure light and Diana holds a hand out for her baby boy who is forever out of her reach. "I love you."

Everything fades to black and Diana likes it that way because she doesn't have to talk with anyone and people know not to talk with her in return. The darkness is swiftly replaced by the invading light of the outside world when someone opens the door and steps inside like a angel of death high above, her eyes adjust on the sight of Lorena Prince in front of her nine months pregnant and about to give birth to her grandchild.

"Hello, Diana."

"Lorena... what are you doing here?" Diana asks, her tone is one of surprise because she hasn't thought of Lorena in months since the funeral where she had burned the bridge connecting their relationship to the ground without so much as a care to look back, but here she is standing up strong and so put together while Diana only wants to fall apart. "You look well, child. How are you?"

"Thank you, my friends say the cliché thing of how I have pregnancy glow about me." Lorena says in cheerful tone as she slowly removes her backpack and sits down in a chair next to Diana's bedside while holding her large belly. The room silent and Lorena uses that silence to have debate with herself whether she should dance around the issue at hand with small talk or get straight to the point. Ultimately, she chooses the former to lessen the discomfort they're both surely feeling. "How have yo-"

"Why are you really here, did my mother send you to finally get me out of bed to rejoin the world?" Diana asks, addressing Lorena over her shoulder while her back is turned away.

An obscenity can be heard under Lorena's breath once Diana forces her into this difficult conversation. "Your sister, actually. But we're all worried about and don't tell 'you're fine' because we both know Cassandra wouldn't be Wonder Woman in your place, your mother wouldn't be alone while she worries for your safety, and I wouldn't be on Themyscira right now if you were truly fine."

"If you're going to insult me, then get out!" Diana demands in a growl.

"I never meant to insult you, I'm sorry." Lorena sighs heavily, maybe her presence here is doing more harm than good, but she has keep trying to get through to Diana because she knows this may be the only way for both of them to heal and movie on. "Look, I just spent like twenty minutes climbing those many steps outside the palace, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy to do while nine months pregnant. I promise to leave you alone in a few minutes if you give me a chance to rest for awhile."

The Amazonian woman just growls again, but doesn't send her away, proving to Lorena that Diana still has a tiny soft spot for her. Ten minutes pass, then half an hour comes and goes, by the time an hour passes, Diana knows Lorena is still sitting at her bedside won't leave anytime soon. "Lorena, are you still there?"

"Yep."

"Are you ever going to leave me alone?"

"Nope. So, you might as well talk to me, please."

Diana rolls over in bed to face the judgment of an old friend, but she studies her first before speaking. Lorena still has her colorful violet hair as she wears maternity clothes of her usual wardrobe of converse high top shoes, blue maternity jeans and a simple white t-shirt covering her entire large belly, she would be mistaken for being well put together at a far away glance, except Diana knows it's completely a front. A wedding ring is no longer on Lorena's finger, but she probably has it close by along with Hunter's ring because those rings aren't things to be given away with emotional ease, especially now that Lorena is a widow.

"I'm fine, Lorena. There's no need for you to be here for me." She says, trying to avoid eye contact with Lorena, and the younger woman scoots her chair closer with a look of concern at the devastation on Diana's face as she tries to hide the truth from the both of them. "Just leave, I don't need you to try and fix me. I don't need fixing."

"I know you don't, I was exactly like you a few months ago until I saw the beginning of my baby bump and realized that in order to take proper care of my daughter, I first had to get my own shit together before she arrives by making amends with the people I hurt. I began with my Ranger team and they wouldn't abandon me even I pushed them away. Without them, I would've hurt myself a long time ago, but those kids really saved my life, this kid too." Lorena says, caressing her stomach and receiving a happy kick from her baby in return.

"Now, I'm here to take care of you because we never should've abandoned each other after Hunter's funeral. Please don't shut me out again when I still need you."

Lorena's comment about having a daughter seems to spur Diana back to her more hopeful self, as if she's imagining all the things she can do with a granddaughter that she never had a chance to do with Hunter because he was male, like getting their nails done or shopping for everything pink. Her eyes widen in surprise and a smile can be seen forming on her face before she regains her cold, broken exterior. "You never needed me, you only want my advice as a parent and the best advice I can give you is to keep your child away from Themyscira. This island is no place for a child and the old warrior ways of the Amazons should have died with my son. I should have died with my son."

"Don't you fucking dare say to me of all people!" Lorena screams, reaching her breaking point with tears suddenly forming in her eyes as she removes Steve's watch from her backpack and sets it on Diana's nightstand in a huff of anger. She is about to leave to rest somewhere else more peaceful for her kid to be right now, but she speaks her mind first.

"I'm going to keep screaming this until you understand my pain. I STILL NEED YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY MOTHER I HAVE LEFT IN MY LIFE! Every person I have loved has died and left me behind, my parents, Arthur and Mera, AJ. I thought things were going to be different when I met you and Hunter all those years ago, I found my family again, I was loved by Hunter like he saw the beauty of the universe in my eyes and we were close enough that I felt like I had a mother again in you."

"I have truly wonderful people around me who love and care for me, who will make sure my baby and I are happy without a care in the world, but none of them are you. I still need you because you aren't just a mother to Hunter or Trini, you're basically my mom too, you're the only person who can answer the questions I have about my child and it hurts me so much to see you like this, you hurt me."

"Are you done?" Diana says coldly, refusing to listen anymore as she rolls over and covers herself with blankets again, probably refusing to listen to anything the other woman said. Lorena just sighs and shakes her head in pure disbelief, she doesn't need to do this right now, she needs to sleep as much as she can before her daughter comes into the world. She stands and leaves without so as another word, slamming the door closed and punching a hole in the wall outside the room as she goes.

As soon as she hears footsteps recede from the door, Diana rolls over yet again and takes Steve's watch in her hands carefully to study it closely now that it has been returned to her from Hunter's dead wrist thanks to Lorena. It's old and worn out well beyond its years, which is understandable after everything the watch has been through, it belonged to Steve's father first, then to Steve himself when the Great War came and he had to do something to stop it instead of nothing. At the end of the their lovely time together, Steve passed it to Diana for safekeeping to passed on to Hunter, the only person who was more than worthy of having such an honor, and capable of passing the honor to his own child one day.

Yes, the watch has kept ticking strongly through ever it has been through, only to stop completely on the night Hunter died. Diana blankly stares at the watch stuck at 12:57 A.M on April 27th 2024, it's mocking her by memorializing the exact moment her son took his final breath, she wants nothing except to see the watch tick one second more, as if that will bring Hunter back to life. The second hand remains still, taunting Diana before she places it on the nightstand and curls further into herself for the comfort of her ghosts once more while she dwells on a question she already knows the answer to.

How does someone kill a god? The truth is painfully obvious to Diana now, leave them alone without the person they love most knowing they can never join them someday.

Lorena takes a deep breath into her lungs while she is fully submerged in the refreshing waters of Themyscira's baths, she finds the water to be calming unlike anything she has felt on her skin before and the kicks she's receiving from her stomach tells her that the baby likes it too, she could honestly spend hours in here allowing herself to soak up the minerals until she opens her eyes and sees the watery Image of Hippolyta standing above Lorena and looking down at her.

She quickly emerges from the water and pushes her pixie undercut hair out of her eyes to address Hippolyta. "Sorry, I didn't ask if it was okay to be in here, I was just looking for a place to relax and this island always surprises me with the secrets it holds, I just needed to feel the amazing water on my skin while I wonder if I'm a good person after all these bad things happen around me."

"Of course you're a good person. What do you mean?" Hippolyta asks, gently taking Lorena's hand and helping her out of the pool and into a set of pajamas placed nearby.

"Are you really sure about that? It's like I told Diana, everyone I've loved has left me behind, even her and I can't help but believe it's my fault that they've left me like I'm doing something to push them away or to get them killed. Now, I fear I'm going to push away my kid like all the others and I'll only have Rita's voice in my Power Coin to keep me company."

She stares into her Green Coin for answers and hears Rita's low, distant cackle echo louder and louder until Hippolyta is forced to step to save her from more nightmares by placing her hand in Lorena's to send the voices away. Hippolyta looks at the young broken woman with care and compassion as she is led to the palace bedrooms for rest.

"You are stronger than you know, Lorena, stronger than this Rita person in your head and you have proven so time and time again over the years we've known each other. You will be a wonderful mother to your child because you will love her completely instead of pushing her away like you fear, and you have not lost Diana either, just give her more time to heal."

"I may not have anymore time before my kid is born. My due date is in less than a week, maybe even less if the baby decides to suddenly grace us with her presence early somehow." Lorena gives a heavy sigh and her expression is one of immense guilt as Hippolyta helps her into bed in unfamiliar room. "No offense to you, but I have questions about Hunter only she can answer."

"I understand, please do not give up on Diana and you will get through to her with your friendship, eventually. You can try again tomorrow, now you and your daughter must rest for the night, and seeing how Diana is sleeping in your room, you will sleep in Cassandra's room when she isn't on the island. I hope that is okay."

"It is, thank you so much for your hospitality." Lorena nods in acceptance of the accommodations, then Hippolyta gives a goodnight kiss to her forehead and snuffs out all the torches around the room before leaving her to think on the next step to complete the impossible task she refuses to give up on, she will never give up on her friend ever again.

* * *

Trini's Earth, Angel Grove.

"I will only ask politely one more time, Zordon. Where is the Green Ranger? Where is our Empress Rita?" Psycho Green demands in a calm growl, his voice is more hostile then the first time he asked, like he's only seconds away from snapping into pure rage.

Even with their helmets hiding their expressions, Jason can tell his teammates all share his look of disbelief at Psycho Green's questions. Zordon was right back in the command ship, these Psycho Rangers have been away from earth for a long time and whole heartily believe that he is still leading the original team, but what do they want with Lorena?

"We don't know who you're-" Jason tries giving an answer to protect Lorena before being swiftly silenced when Psycho Green throws a wild uppercut punch that tosses him across the street, shattering his helmet and nearly causing him to fully unmorph as small pieces of glass from the visor is lodged into his face

Billy, Kimberly, and Trini quickly engage the Psycho Rangers while Zack goes to check on Jason's injuries as the team's doctor through his experiences in med-school. He pulls his teammate into a abandoned building now that the chaos has started as Jason looks at him in a daze of feeling like he just got hit by a freight train at full speed and Zack can tell he is beginning to have a concession, meaning these Psychos are out for blood.

"Just stay here and rest for a bit, boss man. We got these Psycho punks... I hope." Zack sends another urgent text message to Diana asking for her help again before jumping into the battle against his more evil half. Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, and Pink, each Ranger faces their deranged counterparts like a twisted mirror image of themselves if they had taken a darker path, only to learn very quickly how outmatched they are compared to the Psychos.

The Psycho Ranger are easily able to corner their colored doppelganger, smiling devilishly as they beat them without mercy or reason. each of the kids don't know what feels worse, the intense  and broken bones all over their bodies or the pure humiliation of being absolutely trounced by a team of Rangers so similar to themselves in terms of power, speed, and agility.

Kimberly gets some ranged attacks on Psycho Pink using her Power Bow and some archery skill taught to her by Wonder Woman herself and the son of Green Arrow, Connor Queen, but her skills are not enough when the evil Ranger is able to catch every rapid fire arrow as she races to Kimberly and stabs the pressure points in her knees to force her to kneel in extreme pain.

Trini sees a dagger being held to Kimberly's throat and uses her small size to sneak behind Psycho Pink to stab in her the arm with her own Power Draggers as a message that no one hurts her friends, most of all, her wife and the mother to her child, all of her effort to save Kimberly is in vain when Psycho Pink is kicked into unconsciousness, but she is able choke Kimberly out, then drops to the ground before Psycho Yellow pulls Trini on her onto back and punches her in the throat to force the air from her lungs, leaving her wheezing as she passes out in shock of their ruthlessness.

Zack and Billy have the worst time of all their friends, not only do they have fight their counterparts, but the Psycho Green and Psycho Red Rangers as well, leading them to pull out all the teamwork moves they've learned over the years to stave off their inevitable defeat that comes from having four people against two. Zack gives a round-house kick to Psycho Black, knocking him into Psycho Red as Billy is able to knee Psycho blue in the stomach before throwing him aside. Now, only Psycho Green stands in the way of getting answers.

Psycho Green chuckles as if everything is going according to his twisted plan while he pulls an medieval black and green dragger from behind that looks like their weapons with a jade green dragon on the hilt before the blade section of the weapon. Tiny sparks fly when scrapes the blade against his helmet as he addresses the children. "This dagger once belonged to Rita and if my empress is truly gone, then know I will show you no mercy as I use it to snap your rib cages open and carve me name in your hearts!"

He moves with less of the rage of his Ranger team and moves with more eloquence and finesse because he is able to rush behind the boys before they can lay a hit on him, slicing at weaker pieces of Ranger beneath the stronger armored plates and forcing the boys to pass out from exhaustion, but that pain isn't enough for Psycho Green as he grabs Zack's arm and easily breaks it just to hear him scream.

Jason watches his team be thrown into the pavement yet again and he knows everyone is tired and done as they all unmorph, so he rips a shard of glass from his cheek in an agonizing scream of pain before he staggers in to fight the Psychos in a last ditch effort to save his friends because if they're going to die, they're going die together.

He dives in front of the huddle mass of people that make up his friends to guard them from the coming attack as Psycho Green winds up with the Dragon Dagger to a deliver killing strike and Jason closes his eyes as well to protect himself from experiencing his own death. This is the end, and it's his fault for getting them into this mess when they're down a teammate.

He expects death to be a bright light, but he wasn't expecting to see Diana standing protectively over them in full Wonder Woman armor while she has her braces crossed to block against the Dragon Dagger, she quickly glances back to the Rangers and gives a wink saying everything will be alright now. "Sorry I'm late, kids. Jason, move everyone to safety, we need to regroup!"

* * *

Back on another earth's Themyscira, Diana sleeps soundly in her bed for the night like she has done for so many weeks that she has lost count of the days with no plans to ever break the long running streak until light from the outside world floods into her room when someone opens the door and enters silently. She suspects that Lorena has returned for another round of trying to convince her to rejoin the world, but her eyes are slow to focus on the sight of a humanoid bat creature standing over her with mysterious glowing red eyes.

"Sorry I've got to do this, Princess, but I swear everything will make sense once I get you back to my boss." The man says in a grave, serious tone while leaning in cover her mouth using a rag laced with a type of chloroform strong enough to knock her out, but she able to get a closer look at the man with an experienced face and a voice weathered by age hidden beneath a Batman cowl before she begins fighting back in fear of the unknown.

She pushes off the bed while the older Batman hangs onto her back as she frantically slams into everything in Hunter's old room to shake him off and she temporally disregards the room like it's made of glass, but her movements eventually slow down when the chloroform begins to take effect and causes her pass out on a floor of broken memories left behind by her son.

Lorena is woken by the commotion as she sleeps in the next room over or more accurately, she is woken when the baby gives a hard kick inside her stomach that rouses her from a dead sleep instantly. One of things she hates about the palace is how thin the walls are, especially when she and Hunter slept together, so she is able to hear Diana's distant screams and grabs a nearby sword that are so readily available on this island before she quickly waddles off to see what's going on.

She grabs a torch from a holder in the hallway while she moves to Hunter's old room, despite her kid's insistent kicks telling her to gear up for a fight, she is simply too tired of everything that's happened over the last few hours to do anything expect yawn in the face of the mysterious Batman while showing a sleepy expression without fear. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me? Bruce, what the hell are you doing here on a island on women?"

Her eyes widen in rage and she immediately comes to her senses when she sees Diana unconscious on the floor, then she charges toward Batman regardless of who's under the mask but he barely acknowledges her as he pulls a multiverse teleporter similar to her own and creates a portal to another earth before hoisting Diana over his shoulder.

"Ma'am, why don't you and your child go back to sleep in the other room? I promise to return your mom in the morning once I fix my broken world, then maybe I can get my kid back as well." Batman says in a intimidating, low growl, looking back with red eyes to match while he points a pistol at her, the tone he uses is older beyond the years and full of pain and Lorena knows for certain that this Batman isn't Bruce.

"She isn't my biological mother, but she's only one I got left. So, place her on the ground and disappear from this island before the Amazons discover why you're here!" Lorena demands, growling back as a distant horn sounds signifying an intruder on the island, so batman growls again as he prepares to step through the portal with Diana before Lorena charges forward with a scream of bloody murder to try freeing her, causing all three of them to fall into the portal together.

Luckily, Lorena's baby isn't hurt at all once she lands on a pile of rubble that used to be a building, but her luck soon runs out when she takes a look at the earth she landed on. It's London back on earth, but the world has been completely decimated by war, there is death and destruction as far as the eye can see and the only traces of humanity is small pile of fallen innocents.

Batman doesn't have a chance to stand as Diana wakes up and puts him into a strangle hold so they can meet face to face. "I'm going to give you one chance to explain why did you drug me? Where the hell are we? Why did take us here and how did we get home?!" She growls while recovering, her hold on his neck loosens slightly so he can get the words out.

"I believe I can answer all your questions, Diana. Just let Dr. Wayne go, please." Says a woman from the shadows provided by the night sky and Lorena sits up with wide eyes as Mera steps out of the destruction with her vibrant red hair wearing a more worn down version of her green scale armor underneath gold Atlantean War Armor while she powerfully holds the Trident of Neptune in her hands. Her eyes quickly lands on a pregnant Lorena sitting on the ground and she smiles tearfully. "Hello, Starfish."

At the sound of her childhood nickname being uttered by Mera's lips again, and Lorena is in tears that she doesn't have the will power to stop until Mera rushes to her side and takes her into a loving hug as Diana drops Batman in the rubble. Lorena sinks deep into the embrace, finally able to feel Mera's warmth after years of thinking they would never see each other again.

"You changed your hair, among other things." Mera says, wiping away Lorena's tears with one hand while the other hand runs through her short, purple hair instead of the longer brunette version she had as a young child before the older woman examines Lorena's pregnancy more closely. "How are you pregnant? How are you here? Batman was only supposed to search different earths for Diana."

"We're from the same earth, I thought Batman was hurting Diana and leaped into save her, accidently landing the three of us here. Where are we now? I've done a lot of multiverse travel, but I've never been earth like this one."

"That's because this earth is commonly known as the forgotten earth of the multiverse, or perhaps you would know it better as Barry Allen from your earth named it, Flashpoint." Batman stands to his feet and rips off his cowl and reveals himself to be an old man with gray hair, a five o'clock shadow on his face, and wrinkles around his hopeless blue eyes that Diana has only seen in family photos shown by Alfred. Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne. "After he disappeared into the speed force, this timeline didn't disappear with him, instead it split off into it's own earth in the multiverse."

"Did you just say Flashpoint?" Diana's eyes go wide in fear because she remembers when Barry told her and the other original League members of the horror he experienced on this earth five years ago, and she knows she must get Lorena back to their earth as soon as possible, Damn it, she does still have a soft spot for the girl. She grabs Lorena's arm and forcefully removes her from Mera without giving her time to protest. "Come on, if half of the stories I've heard about this earth are true, then we must return home before it's too late."

"That's impossible, unless you have another multiverse teleporter on you since mine was smashed to smithereens after our rough landing through the portal." Thomas pipes up from the background while holing his now destroyed teleporter as evidence to his claim.

"Well, I left mine back on my earth, and I don't want to go back." Lorena shouts in a demanding tone among the rubble of a destroyed world while her grip tightens on Mera. "I'm not leaving this earth yet, I just found Mera again and I don't care if we're from different earths when she's been more a mother to me in the last minute then you have in the last 24 hours. So, I'm not leaving her now, besides, how bad can this place really be?"

Thomas shares a look with Diana and Mera telling him how they all know the immense threats this earth holds before their collective expression transforms into one of a parental worry when they must must Lorena and her baby of the dangers they may face ahead. "Do either of you want to tell her, or should I?"

"I'll tell her. Both she and Diana deserve to know of this world's conflict once we get them to safety of the bunker and get them some proper food... Are you hungry, Starfish?" Lorena nods to Mera's question before going off together with Diana in the back of the group as if she is slowed down by Lorena's harsh words. It takes some time with Lorena's pregnancy, but Mera is eventually able to lead them through the ruins of London to safety in a old, secret underground bunker used by Winston Churchill during the Blitz and the rest of World War 2.

Diana is the last person to enter the bunker, noticing how not much has changed since the last time she was here with Winston during while she fought in the war. Maps of the U.K line the walls, there is a large stockpile of weapons, ammo, and armor in one corner and target sheets in another corner, next to a common area with countless makeshift beds for the soliders, who are going about their business until they draw their weapons on Diana with the means to kill, leading Mera to come to her defense.

"I know how this looks, but I asked Batman to bring a version of Diana from the multiverse. She, and her friend will help us end this seeming endless conflict before anymore innocent bloodshed. So, everyone calm the hell down." She stares down the massive sea of resistance fighters until they all put their guns away because they won't shoot the woman who gave them a home and a cause worth fighting for, then Mera gives Diana a look of apology. "Sorry, my soldiers are not kind to Amazons after everything they've done."

"I don't understand, Mera. Are we enemies in this world?" Diana asks in surprise because she and Mera always worked well together on the League in the past.

"Yes, we are." Mera confirms bluntly and dispassionately, causing Lorena to sit down in sadness because she unable to fathom the idea of her two mother figures hating each other so much to the point of war and Diana is quickly there to comfort her as Mera pulls up two more chairs. "Perhaps it would be better if I was to explain everything further."

"Hold on." Thomas speaks up from the background with an annoyed tone as they sit down. "Before you go explaning this fucked up hell on earth that is our world, I did my job by delivering Diana, can I get my payment now, please?"

"Here you are, Dr. Wayne, there's also a full bottle of whiskey in the liquor cabinet for you." Mera hands over a box of bullets and watches Thomas load a single one into the empty magazine of his pistol, much to Lorena's surprise after learning she was threatened with an empty gun, then he goes to collect his booze until Mera grips his arm and pleas with him for the last time. "I urge to reconsider, Thomas. I'd hate to loose a friend, and maybe there's a way to bring him back."

Thomas chuckles bitterly while pulling his arm away. "We know there's no way to bring back the ones we've lost. This hasn't been fun, Mera, and I won't think of you."

She watches the sad old man disappear into the crowd of soldiers like a creature of the night before turning to Diana and Lorena with a grave expression. "We may be enemies now, but that wasn't always the case. In fact, your counterpart and I were once lovers a lifetime ago, we were each other's first kiss and I thought the world couldn't tear us apart, until it did." 

"I do have a thing for redheads." Diana says passionately as her cheeks flush hot red with love. In truth, there were times on the League when Diana felt a deep attraction towards Mera after witnessing her impressive skill as a beautiful warrior and master battle straightest, but she was always with Arthur so she couldn't pursue her feelings. "Wh-what happened between us?"

"First you must understand what we had and what we gave up. After the second battle with Steppenwolf, our two people came together in a marriage alliance involving the two of us, which was easy because we knew each other from childhood and that's when our love truly bloomed despite the setbacks of meeting other people like Orm. The love we shared only grew when Hunter was born on Themyscira and I adopted this earth's version of Lorena a few months later then we raised the two of you together as loving parents."

"Wait, if you and Diana raised me along side Hunter as our parents, then where is that version of Hunter now? What about King Arthur?" Lorena asks urgently trying to fight back her emotions as she feels Diana's grip her hand tightly when Hunter is mentioned by name.

"Arthur isn't the King of Atlantis on this world, he's nothing except a deranged radical with an equally dangerous brother, who took my children away from me on the happiest day of my life! Both of the children were four years old when Diana and I decided to solidify the alliance with a wedding, we were all dressed in our best clothes and I was walking down the aisle towards the love of my life until Arthur and Orm opened fire on the wedding because they didn't approve of the union between an Amazon and Atlantean."

Mera breathes deeply and reaches out to hold both of their hands in her own. "When the dust settled and those monsters escaped punishment, Diana and I were the only ones alive in a sea of death, you, Hunter, and Hippolyta among them. I tried to calm my Diana down, only she was too far gone for even me to reach before she brought the whole Amazonian Army to wage war on mankind for killing her loved ones as she took the new name Sovereign, I responded with my own army of Atlanteans, but we ended up bringing this earth to the brink of destruction."

"I brought you here because the Amazons are nearing victory in their complete conquest of the world and unless we stop her now, it will only be a matter of time before Sovereign uses this earth's last multiverse teleporter developed by Cranston Technologies to conquer the rest of the worlds as well. Please Diana, I need your help, I am out of options and I lost too much. Do it for the memory of our son, do it for Hunter."

Diana is seconds away from breaking down after hearing about her son's death again because she has been suppressing everything about Hunter and the world for months out of the fear of the news because then it become real for her and so will the heavy pain she is afraid of feeling as well, and she can't handle it so she runs away to nowhere crying like a child.

Mera stares at Diana running away as fast as she can, and she unable to comprehend what's wrong. She quickly leans over to Lorena with a expression of worried concern on her face. "Did I say something wrong about Hunter that struck a nerve with Diana?"

Lorena shakes her head she slowly stands up and looks in the direction that Diana went off to so she can chase after her. "No, I know you didn't mean to cause her pain and we should've told you sooner about how the version of Hunter on our earth recently died nine months ago, he was my husband and we haven't confronted our feelings about his death. I'm sorry, I have to go."

The bunker is large a labyrinth of old, winding tunnels that make it nearly imposable for Lorena to find her friend, and she know from Diana's war stories that she has been here before, in fact, she finds Thomas Wayne first. She walks into the dark room cautiously, seeing Thomas sleeping in a chair with his Bat-cowl on the floor, a shattered photo of a young Bruce with his parents in formal picture on the table next to him, a half empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and the loaded pistol in the other hand. It's clear to Lorena now, this man wants to die.

"Dr. Wayne, are you alright?" She asks quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him awake before he wakes up and points the gun her face as a reflex.

Thomas soon realizes his mistake and retracts his gun with a deeply remorseful look while she sits down next to him. "Sorry, I didn't want to threaten you now, or that other time either, especially when I saw you pregnant with a child and a week away from having that kid in your life. I know it's like to loose a child and I never want anyone else to go through what I went through."

"Thank you for apologizing, Dr. Wayne." Lorena says before looking at the shattered photo of Thomas's family and she knows she has no right to reopen this old, painful wound, but she has to seek parenting advice on how to raise a child from someone when Diana won't open up. Her tone is slow and very cautious as she asks a question she knows shouldn't be directed towards a person like him. "Do you have any parenting advice for me?"

"Yeah, avoid dark alleys." He responds in a snarky tone before his bloodshot eyes come into focus on the young woman, she is looking back at him with wide eyes of learning and it doesn't take a doctor to notice how absolutely terrified she is of being a single parent, everything about her genuine, so Thomas knows he must be genuine in return.

He takes a long drink of whiskey, puts the gun down, then picks up the Bat-Cowl and looks at her with impossibly sad eyes that only seem to be made of nothing expect tragedy. "Honestly, no. It's been so long that it's hard to remember what being a parent was like for me. I lost everything that night in the alley, my son, my wife, my medical license and practice, I even lost myself. I used to watch the black and white Gray Ghost TV show with my son and I was inspired to create this Batman persona to cope while Martha chose a different path and became the Joker."

"Kid, if there's any advice I can remember about being parent it's this. Love your kid more than you love yourself, keep them safe and happy above everything else, and show up. Most people say that the majority of parent is just showing up whenever your kid needs you to be there. Do that and you'll be a great mother."

Lorena nods thankfully, taking his simple advice to heart while the inquisitive expression remains on his face. "Back on that paradise island, you called me Bruce when you saw me as Batman, and when Barry left this timeline, I gave him a letter for my son. So, I have to ask, do you know Bruce? Is he alive on your earth?"

Bruce Wayne is a total mystery to Lorena, she's never met him because of her sheltered childhood away from the rest of Justice League and she thought like most people did by thinking Batman was a mere myth instead of a man until she was fourteen. "I only know him by name and who he is under his cowl, that's why I thought you were him on Themyscira, but Diana would know if Bruce received your letter or not. I'm sorry."

"He received your letter and Barry delivered it to him personally. Now, Bruce keeps it in a pristine glass case in his version of the Bat-Cave." Diana says suddenly, entering the room as Thomas's expression changes to one of pure relief when he knows Bruce read his heartfelt words. "Dr. Wayne, I know this is your personal room, but do you mind if I talk with Lorena in here alone, please?"

Thomas nods, standing up so Diana can have his chair before leaving the two women alone to have a difficult conversation. Once Diana has sat down, both women give an impossible expression that the other person can't read and Diana is at a complete loss for words, she wants to say something to begin the talk with Lorena, but can't think of anything that won't bring them pain. "Has Hunter's death become real for you yet?"

A sobering question for sure and so much has happened to Lorena that she hasn't had time to think of an answer, or she doesn't want to give herself to think on the question because she is afraid of the answer, but time is up and she must give one now, maybe it will bring her peace. "No, not yet. Before I ballooned up, I wore his green army jacket to have him close to my heart, I have it in my travel pack back on Themyscira and I can't wait to wear it again once my baby is born. This may sound strange, but I like leaving him voicemail messages about my pregnancy progression just to hear his voice."

"I know about your messages because I have Hunter's phone in my box of keepsakes on Themyscira, I listen to the messages for the same reason that you leave them. I was glad to hear that your child has been progressing so well and I've been tempted to return your calls just to know how you're doing as well, but I was afraid of you blaming for Hunter's death as much as I blame myself." Diana says in a whisper of pure regret, but loud enough for both of them to hear.

Tears stream down Diana's cheeks and she ducks her head away so Lorena doesn't see her cry as Lorena scoots her chair and places her hand under Diana's chin to lift her head up until their eyes meet, then she reaches out to hold her in a close hug they both need to help them heal. "I don't blame anyone for Hunter's death, most of all you, so I want you to stop blaming yourself. You were a wonderful mother to Hunter and an equally wonderful surrogate parent to me, I know you'll be a wonderful abuela to my daughter if you want to be."

"I would love nothing more now." Diana says sincerely while she places a gentle hand Lorena's stomach with her nod of consent, she quickly feels a tiny kick come from inside and she knows the child with be a strong warrior woman one day. "Oh, she's quite feisty, just like her parents. Have you thought of any names for her yet?"

Her comment causes Lorena to snicker and shake her head. "You wouldn't believe how many pieces of paper I have on my bedroom floor because none of the names I've written really fits, I want her name to be unique while also being respectfully of her heritage, I'm sure the perfect name will come to me once she's born and I can get a good look at her. I don't want to talk about names when I have a personal question to ask you."

Lorena takes a deep breath to give herself courage as she emotionally struggles to get her next words out. "I'm afraid of my daughter having her father's bright blue eyes. Don't get me wrong, Hunter's eyes were one of the limitless things I loved about him, but I know they'll be the biggest triggers for me and that isn't fair to her. So, how did you look at Hunter constantly and not see him as Steve when they shared the same eyes?"

Diana hangs her head in shame and Lorena knows the answer she is about to receive isn't one she will want to hear. "I didn't. Every time I looked at Hunter, I saw a little bit of Steve in everything he did, the way he spoke and carried himself, his hopeful smile and their blue eyes most of all, it was so strange to witness how similar they were like the universe always intended them to be father and son. Lorena I'm sorry if this isn't the answer you wanted, but it's the only one I have, along with this."

She removes Steve's broken watch from her pocket and places it in Lorena's hands, she closes her fingers around the watch when Lorena tries giving it back. "I know you think I want this back, but I don't, not anymore at least. Hunter gave you this watch to pass on to your child in the same way I passed it to him, so take this watch and pass to her when you feel she is ready, just make sure it's repaired first. Understand?"

"Thank you, Diana." Lorena stares at the watch for a second to fully understand the responsibility that is now hers, this watch will be her daughter's one day. She puts it in her pocket and takes out her dusty wedding ring in return to place it back on her finger, then she walks with Diana as they go towards the common area to sleep in some spare beds for the night.

"Do you need anything before going to sleep?" Diana asks Lorena as she covers with blankets, her voice is laced with parental love because a mother's work is never truly finished.

"Hold onto me, please." Lorena requests simply, just wanting to have her old friend close.

"Of course, child. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Diana lays down closely behind Lorena and gently wraps a protective arm her huge stomach just as she first done for the young woman all those years ago when she was healing after the battle for Atlantis back when the world was at peace and their lives were much easier.

When she wakes up later that same night, Lorena finds that Diana's arms are no longer around her. Instead, Diana is standing with Mera, both of them are wearing sleak black tactical suits as they look at a map of the docks between London and the hidden portal to Themyscira to try learning the location of Diana's evil counterpart. "Hey, what's going on? Have you guys thought of a way to stop Sovereign for good?"

Diana looks back at Lorena with a smile as she kneels to help her sit up and have a sip of water. "We were able to learn the locations of several Amazonian recon teams that will lead us to her if we interrogate them with the Lasso of Hestia, but stopping her and retrieving the multiverse device will be difficult when she knows every move I will make, it turns out I am my own worst enemy."

"Then send me in to grab the device and stop her, we were close on this world so she probably won't hurt me." Lorena says with courage, drawing the attention of Diana and Mera, who have shock on their faces as Mera steps forward with concern.

"Hold on, Starfish. Sovereign is completely merciless towards anyone who isn't a pure blood Amazon. Even if you're able to get through to her, there is no grantee that she won't kill you and your child in the same manner she kills all her enemies. The danger is too high for you, so you're not going and that is final."

"I don't care, I want my kid to be born on Themyscira back home, so I'm getting that multiverse device back and going home if it kills me." Lorena gives Diana a look of fearful determination. "If something happens to me, induce labor for my baby and try to get her out safely, and call my Ranger team to tell them I'm sorry for not coming home since I can't get a hold of them for some reason."

Lorena looks at them with a stern and unmovable glare with her hands on her hips. "Without Hunter here, I am a total wild card in this universe, I can allow the Amazons to capture me and take me to their base as Diana follows from a distance. Maybe my sudden presence will distract Sovereign long enough for my version of Diana to swoop in to grab the device without her notice. This makes perfect sense to me."

"Me too, that's why I'm coming with Diana to look after Lorena." Thomas says while walking up to the group with a clean shaven face underneath his Bat-Cowl and everyone can tell he's doing better than last night. "Look, I know I was drunk less than twelve hours ago, but I'm ready to go after drinking six cups of coffee, so we'd better go before daybreak makes it harder to hide in the shadows."

I love you so much, Starfish." Mera huffs in defeat when she can't see a better option and takes Lorena into a hug, shaking as she holds the young woman close out of the fear of loosing her again before she looks at Diana and Thomas very protectively, almost scaring them. "I just got Lorena back in my life and however brief our time will be, I will show rage unlike ever seen before if she or her baby are hurt at all, so you will protect her, even if you must compromise the mission to do so."

"And if you succeed in retrieving the device and decide to return to your earth, then I guess this is goodbye. It was good see you again, my love." Mera says, her voice breaking with emotion as she address Diana.

"You too, Mera. I will protect her like she is my own daughter, as I should've done many months sooner." Diana places a loving hand on Mera's cheek and looks at her in the same way before Lorena has to pull Diana away from getting lost in her eyes and towards the bunker exit. As they approach the door, Diana knows she should leave things there and move on with the mission, but she has to let her feelings for Mera be known without repercussions.

"Oh, fuck it." Diana races through the large bunker as fast as she possibly can because her heart is so full of love for the redhead woman. Mera's attention is drawn to sound of footsteps fast coming near her, she barely has time to turn around to catch Diana as she leaps into her arms and wraps her legs around her waist before she captures her lips in a passionate kiss of love neither of them will ever forget as Mera's lips taste like saltwater and sweet strawberries with hint of pain caused by war that Diana wouldn't mind healing personally if she had more time.

Lorena slowly walks to where Diana last went off to see the surprising sight of Diana and Mera kissing each other on the floor like no one was watching and she has to take out her phone to immortalize this shocking moment with a picture, only to cause them to stop when they hear of Lorena's camera clicking. The three women share expressions of shock as Diana helps Mera stand up and ushers Lorena towards the exit once more. "How much of that did you see, child?'

"Enough to know that I ship the two of you together now."

* * *

"Are you guys in position?" Lorena asks, standing in London's destruction on neutral ground between the different war factions as she prepares to step into Amazonian territory.

Diana and Thomas are both watching Lorena with long-ranged night vision binoculars before she speaks to Lorena using the com-link. "Yes, we're ready to follow wherever you are ready to lead us. Just please be careful out there."

"I will." Lorena takes a deep breath as she feels her baby give a hard kick as she tries to ward her mother off of this insane plan, then she takes a first step on hostile ground. She only makes it a few yards further before an Amazonian war party jumps out of nowhere with their weapons drawn at her throat and Lorena immediately raises her hands in surrender. "I've always wanted to say this, take me to your leader."

The Amazons put their weapons away when they see the girl is pregnant and they place a black hood over her head before jumping away with her. Thomas is quick to leap into action, scaring the last Amazon who hasn't had a chance to leap away yet by appearing to her as a twisted bat creature of the night long enough for Diana to silently grab her and drag her into the shadows for interrogation.

"How dare you try to capture me! Release me now and I will show the mercy of a quick death!" To her credit, the warrior tries defending herself with her lasso the best she can, but quickly tries to make herself as small as possible out of fear when she is face to face with her ruthless ruler. "So-sovereign, I am so sorry for my insolence and disobedience. Please, for-forgive me, I want to live."

Diana leans in and makes sure her face can be seen in the light of the lasso to increase her intimidation of the other warrior as she channels her inner Batman. "I am not your Queen!"

Lorena only hears the muffled voices of the Amazons while being transported through the city, then the voices stop abruptly as she is walked up a staircase before being forced to her knees in front of someone holding a longsword, the hood is removed from Lorena's head and her eyes adjust on the sight of Sovereign wearing older battle worn version of her classic Wonder Woman armor while Queen Mera's crown rests on her head as trophy.

"So, who talks first? You talk first, I talk first?" Lorena smirks on the outside as if everything is going according to plan despite how absolutely terrified she is on the inside, she should've listened to Mera and stayed behind where it was safe because Sovereign is able to scare the shit out of her with one death glare that hits like a cold shower.

"Leave us." Sovereign demands of the Amazons around the throne room in a booming tone of voice exactly the same as her counterpart, everyone instantly complies to the order and exit the room in a orderly march. Once everyone has left, Sovereign stabs her sword in the ground and kneels to be eye level with Lorena. "Do you know who I am and what you've done by being here?"

Lorena's eyes quickly scan the area around her for the teleporter device, which is placed on the small table next to the throne, then her eyes meet Thomas's red Batman eyes as he patiently waits with Diana in the dark rafters above them for the right time to strike. "Only the cliff notes version from Mera, but I know we were very close because you raised me together with Hunter. What happened to you, my friend?"

Sovereign's expression cracks ever so slightly when Hunter's name is said out loud and Lorena can see a hint of the remorseful person she knows so well before she stabs her own side to get the pain and aggression to fuel her. "Shut your damn mouth child! You have no idea how much I've lost, how much the world has taken from me when. I don't understand it either, Arthur and Orm were only supposed to kill one person that day, they were only supposed to kill him."

"Are you saying you hired them to attack your own wedding? Who were they supposed to kill? I want to hear you say the name!"

"My bastard son, Hunter Prince." She answers coldly, to everyone's surprise. Diana's blood boils with pure white hot rage and she is about to jump down from the rafters and kill her evil counterpart because she will never allow anyone to disrespect her son and his memory, but Thomas is able to hold her back while they hear Sovereign's confession.

"I had no choice, Hunter was a male and a half breed abomination of what a pure of an Amazon should be. I wanted a daughter, instead I was given a son who I absolutely hated with every fiber of my being because he was a constant reminder of his bastard father and torturous time we spent together. When the wedding was attacked I saw an opportunity to stab him in the back with this sword during the chaos, but I never intended for you to die as well and the worst part was, I had to pretend to love him until the very end."

Lorena stares at her in shock, her mouth agape as tears begin streaming down her cheeks. She is completely appalled by the actions of person she has come to love and respect so much, could her version of Diana do that to her own baby boy so easily and callously. "How dare you ever called yourself Wonder Woman! If I had access to my Ranger armor right now, I would snap out of these restraints and send you through that wall. Hunter was just an innocent child who thought the world of you because you were his mother. Did it ever occur that Hunter was never trying to be a burden to you, that he just wanted be to your son and for you to be his mom?"

"No." She says in a ice cold tone as all compassion and remorse disappears from her eyes. "Hunter was nothing to me expect for a burden and deserved to die by my hand, I would do it again in a heartbeat if given the chance."

Diana can't stand hear this trash a second more as the rage inside her reaches a breaking point and jumps down from the rafters to attack Sovereign with the sword she took from the other Amazon while Lorena dives for cover to protect her baby, Thomas drops a flashbang grenade for cover when he jumps down to grab the teleporting device while everyone is distracted.

The two Dianas have set out to kill each other and Sovereign is quickly learning that she is slightly outmatched by her counterpart, she is the highest authority in this world with no one to challenge her out of fear, no one to help keep her skills sharp and ready. Diana grits her teeth in anger and clashes her sword against her enemy's sword harder and harder until her defenses breakdown, then she unleashes a fury of lethal attacks on her evil counterpart aimed at her weak points with no finesse or skill behind them, just power and rage as she is fueled by the memory of Hunter.

Her grip tightens around her sword and the throne room is showered with sparks that happen each time their swords clash as Diana stares at Sovereign with dead, emotionless eyes for her son, then she lays all her god strength through sword to force her doppelganger on to her knees in terror before Diana's metal braces pulse with the lighting power of Zeus as she powerfully punches in the face without showing signs of stopping, not that she would ever want to.

Soon, Diana's hands are drenched in the blood of her lesser half and she looks her with tears of rage streaming down her cheek like Lorena before her, then she holds Sovereign by her hair and brings a electric sword up to her throat, Diana makes sure her next words can be heard clearly by the monstrous woman before she decapitates her without mercy. "You fucked with the wrong mother!"

Once Thomas has grabbed the device, he turns back with a look of disbelief at what Diana had done. He thought he had seen everything this fucked up world has to offer and then some, only to be proven wrong goddamn time as watches Diana beat Sovereign's lifeless corpse for revenge in the same way he did it to Joe Chill on the night Bruce died until he must pull her away and into a comforting hug. "Diana, I know exactly what you're feeling right now, but sh-she's dead, you killed her and she won't hurt you or Hunter anymore. You did it, now rest."

She clutches onto Thomas's Batman chest plate because this isn't how she wanted memories of her son to be brought to the surface of her emotions as she asks a heartbreaking question through her tears. "Why would someone willingly kill a child?!"

That's an impossible question Thomas has asked himself ever single day since he lost he lost Bruce and after many years of thinking on it, he still doesn't have answer for himself or Diana, only a mantra that tries to justify his actions. "This world has made monsters of us all." He continues holding Diana as his eyes search for Lorena hidden somewhere safe around the throne room. "Kid, tell me you're still alright out there!"

Lorena slowly crawls out of her hiding spot on her knees while she desperately holds on to her humongous stomach before looking at Diana and Thomas in a cold sweat with absolute fear and uncertainty of what's to come in the next few minutes. "No, I'm not okay. Guys, my water just broke, I think my baby's ready to join the world."

* * *

"AT EXACTLY WHAT POINT DID WE LOOSE CONTROL HERE!" Zack screams at the top of his lungs back on Trini's earth as Diana scoops him and the rest of the Rangers up in her arms and swiftly them takes to safety, much to the rage of the Psycho Ranges.

"Don't loose heart, Zack, we will figure out a way to stop these monsters and bring them to Zordon for judgement. I promise you that." Diana says with confident and comforting tone as her focus briefly shifts towards the Rangers. Once everyone is a safe distance away, she sets the children down in an abandoned building to rest, Trini runs into her mother's arms and Diana hugs her back tightly while seeing the looks of embarrassment on all of their faces. "This question may be redundant now, but how is everyone doing?"

"We've all seen better days, Diana." Kimberley says with heavy, exhausted breath as the team licks their wounds before giving her a thankful smile. "Thanks for saving us back there. I'm assuming it took you a while to get here because you were checking on Lorena back at the Ship, how is she?"

"I was going to ask you all the same question when I wasn't allowed to enter the Ship, meaning Lorena probably isn't there to let me in or anywhere nearby. Leading me to become increasing worried for her as you because I thought she is fighting with you guys while pregnant, now I know that isn't the case, so where is she? Is she somewhere safe?"

Everyone shares Diana's worry because they can't properly focus on dealing with the Psychos while they wonder if Lorena is safe or not, except for Billy, whose eyes widen when he realizes his mistake. "I might have put an idea in her head to go to different earths in the multiverse using her portal device."  He says before their worry turns to shock aimed at him. "What? I modified the device to be safe for her baby now."

Jason sighs, shakily standing up with the help of Diana and Trini. "Alright, another earth is about the safest place she can be right now, so we're good there and that gives us time to stop these Psychos before they can get to the Ship and discover that Lorena isn't Rita."

"How are we gonna do that when they know exactly how to beat us?" Trini asks while standing on his left.

"It's true they know how to beat us, but I think we can have a slight edge if we fight a Psycho Ranger different then our Ranger color because I was watching how Billy and Zack were able to fight them for a second longer by fighting Psycho red instead of their colored counterpart. Zack, you take on Psycho Pink as Billy goes for Yellow and Kim fights Blue while Trini takes on red and I'll go fist to fist with Psycho Black."

"That's all well and good, Jason, but what about Psycho Green?"  Kimberly interjects.

"I will take him on personally. I doubt he has ever encountered a warrior like me and he will certainly be surprised by the challenge I present." Diana steps forward and removes the sword from the sheath on her back in one courageous, inspiring motion before she takes the children in a comforting hug in hopes of lessening their fear. "I love you all and I know you all love each other, so hold onto that if things become too intense. Now, let's kick some ass!"

The Rangers and Diana all take a deep breath for courage while they walk towards the center of town where the Psychos are waiting before each party breaks into a full on sprint at one another with each Ranger focusing on a different target, Zack uses his large body mass to tackle Psycho Pink onto her back on the pavement and forces her arms above her head so she won't hit him while he thinks of a way to restrain her permanently, but she something that throws him off his game.

"Hey, cutie pie." She says with a smirk under her helmet as if she sees Zack's appearance through his helmet and she uses his surprise at the comment to roll him over onto his back before her mouth piece disappears and she kisses the mouth piece on his helmet. "Wanna go out sometime?"

"No thanks. I've got a lot on my plate these days and I don't really want to add dating a crazy psycho bitch to it." Zack headbutts Psycho Pink and quickly stands up before grabbing her arm to toss her directly into Psycho Blue to help Kimberley out, throwing both Psychos across the street as the two Rangers smile because the plan is working like a charm.

Jason and Billy take on the Black and Yellow Psycho Rangers back to back with one another as they use teamwork to switch targets whenever the adversaries begin to get the upper hand against them until the Psychos are so disoriented that they literally have no idea what is hitting them, leading Jason and Billy to end the fight by giving a jump kick to each of their faces backwards into a street lamp, taking them down for the count.

Trini gives Psycho Red a glare of pure determination beneath her helmet as her fists are raised to intimate him while they run at each other before she uses her small size in a juke move, sliding between his legs and kicking him in the groin, then she runs with fast paced agility taught to her by Diana to quickly jump and move around Psycho Red to confuse him further until she knocks him out instantly with single a punch that has all of her weight and power behind it. With all but one Psycho Ranger defeated, Trini turns her attention towards Psycho Green with great worry for Diana.

Psycho Green seems to be a different type of warrior than the rest of his team, he is able match Diana strike for strike with great experience using the Dragon Dagger against her Amazonian sword almost like he knows every move she will make and they're engaged in an impressive dance rather than a fight to the death. Their weapons clash again and Psycho Green pushes harder with murderous intent to try throwing Diana off balance. "Is that all you have, Diana? I honestly expected more from the famous Wonder Woman!"

"What did you just call me?!" Diana asks Psycho Green in growl through gritted teeth, surprised that he called her by name, has he been watching her and Trini? How much more does he know?

She spots the Rangers coming to her aid out of the corner of her eyes and she takes a step back, allowing the children to dog pile on Psycho Green to incapacitate him so they can get answers, causing him to drop the Dragon Dagger on the street as he struggles to free himself from the Rangers while arguing with someone on the other side of his com link. "NO! Send the others back while i kill the Rangers by myself, just give me more time!"

He doesn't have anymore time to argue before green light forms around his body and he is forcibly teleported away while screaming in agony. His screams stay with the Rangers once he disappears and Jason punches the ground in anger of letting him go, only to learn the other Psycho Rangers have disappeared as well. "Damn! Billy, can you track their teleportation signal? We can't let them go, we have to learn why their after Lorena and who sent them!"

Billy unmorphs, then pulls a tech device from his pocket and holds it in the air to try finding a signal, but comes up with nothing after a few minutes of searching. "No, they've  disappeared without a trace as to where they went, but I found this instead." He says, holding the green Dragon Dagger with a proud smile of accomplishment. "At least Lorena can have a personalized weapon like the rest of us now."

"That's great, Billy. I'm sure she'll lov-" Trini says while she unmorphs with the others before being interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing with Lorena on the other end, a sense of relief goes through her body as she goes off to answer it privately. "Hey, I'm glad to finally hear from you, Billy found a dagger for you..."

Diana places a gentle a hand on Jason's shoulder to alleviate his anger. "Jason, this may be a small victory, but even those still matter. No civilian was hurt in the attack and there's minimal property damage, how about we stay behind to clean up, then I'll treat everyone to aspirin and ice cream while we wait for Lorena to come home?"

Jason nods with a small smile coming across his face as Diana gathers up the Rangers in a group huddle to go home, but their path is interrupted by Trini running towards them completely out of breath with her phone in hand and a worried look on her face. "Lorena's water broke, she's back on her original earth on Themyscira about to give birth! We need to go there now!"

A shiver of fear goes down everyone's spine and Billy uses a spare teleporter from his pocket to scroll the different earths in the multiverse, his fingers tremble while he opens a portal to the right earth before everyone jumps through totally unsure of what to expect on the other side. They touch down in the infirmary on a different Themyscira, seeing Lorena sitting in a bed with a different version of a Diana and Batman holding her hands and a doctor assessing her progress.

"Trini... it's good you again, Little One." Diana briefly lets go of Lorena's hand to gladly have Trini into her welcome arms when she runs to her for a hug. She wraps her arms around her and leans down to kiss the top of her head, instantly falling back in love with her daughter like she first did nine months ago as she watches the Rangers' Diana enter the portal before it closes. "Is that your mother on your earth? She's beautiful, but is she good you and your friends?"

"Oh, my god, she's you! Are you really jealous and flirting with yourself?" Trini groans in exasperation and shakes her head before joining Lorena at her bedside.

Lorena feels her Green Power Coin light with energy once the Rangers are near her again. The Rangers smile at her and she smiles back at them before they take in the battle worn sight the other person, but Jason is first to speak up. "What happened to you? You look like you just went to Hell and came back again."

"I've really been to Hell, Jason and that isn't too far off from where we actually were." Lorena quips, grunting through another contraction before gesturing to Diana and Thomas. "You guys remember my version of Diana from the time we stopped the end of the world together, but this is Thomas Wayne, Bruce's father from the Flashpoint Universe."

Zack takes one look at Thomas's red eyes while he wears the Batman cowl and gulps down his fear of the man as he moves towards Themyscira's physician holding his broken arm. "He's scary and it's great to see you, Greenie. We'll catch up later, but can someone tend to my arm, please?"

The physician moves Zack away and begins treating his arm, then Thomas moves to help Lorena deliver her baby, much to Lorena's fear because she doesn't want to loose her daughter due to something going wrong. "Thomas, are you sure you can deliver my kid when you lost your medical license and you were totally drunk twelve hours ago?"

Thomas quickly removes his cowl completely and looks at Lorena with a mixture of calm and seriousness in his old eyes. "It's true I was once a doctor many years ago, I helped a great many people and delivered many babies into the world in that time, including my own son. The night he died, I promised myself never to allow another child to die under my watch and I promise to do the same now. Please Lorena, let me help deliver your child into the world."

Lorena nods seriously, and Thomas gets right to making preparations for the birth. "Alright, you're quite far along, so it won't be long. I suggest calming yourself now and I'll warn you when it's time to start pushing in a few minutes at most."

She turns attention to Jason and the other Rangers. "In all the confusion that's happened to me over the last three days, so how'd the fight against the Psycho Rangers go? Why is everyone still covered in dirt?"

"Three days, what are you talking about?" Kimberly asks confused as she joins Trini at Lorena's bedside. "We only fought the Psychos thirty minutes ago after leaving your house an hour ago and would've died in the fight if it wasn't for Diana to save us in a battle where weren't given all the information back at the Ship. I think Zordon knows more about the Psychos than he let on, like I think he knows who sent them to attack us. We all need to confront him for answers once you come home."

"Zordon has always too many secrets from us, so it wouldn't surprise me if he's if keeping more info about the Psychos from us. I'm game for confronting him if everyone is, too." Zack says as his bandaged arm set in a cast and all of the Rangers are quick to nod in agreement.

Now Lorena has confusion on her face until Billy offers an answer. "From what I've learned from Barry, every earth in the multiverse coexists in the same space, just at different wave lengths so the earths don't crash into one another, it would stand to reason that time passes at different rates as well, an hour here could be three days on another earth."

Billy reaches behind his back for the Dragon Dagger and presents the weapon to Lorena. "Oh, I'm not sure if Trini told you on the phone, but I found this for you after the fight with Psycho Green. I don't know what it does, but he got it from Rita and it's yours now. Enjoy." 

Lorena takes a moment to examine the dagger, notice its dark, otherworldly craftsmanship before she places on a nearby dresser next to her Coin and a pitcher of water as Thomas speaks up calmly. "While you're receiving gifts, you might want ready to receive another one because you're at ten centimeters, Lorena. It's time to start pushing once I have only family members in here."

"We are family to Lorena and we're not leaving her!" Everyone in the room shouts at Thomas in unison, and all he can do is sigh and continue his work.

"In that case, I will need absolute quiet to focus. Lorena, I will walk you through what's happening as it happens, please try to keep calm and remember to breathe. Alright?" Lorena takes a deep breath at Thomas's words and begins pushing with everyone she cares about by her side. From there, everything becomes a blur as Thomas gives updates on the birth and Lorena shouts a mixture of Spanish and Japanese curse words back at him while she screams in pain for this experience to be over.

"You're doing great, child. Just a little more, I promise." Diana says in a calm tone, holding Lorena's hand tightly while wiping sweat away from her forehead.

Her words are drowned out by Lorena's screams as fear settles into the young woman's thoughts, her baby will be born any second now and yet again she is totally unsure if can be a good parent to her without Hunter. Kids were always easy to him compared to her, which is strange considering her work as a school teacher, but he's gone now and has Lorena behind with their child, she isn't angry with him at all, she will just give their daughter more than enough love for the both of them, she will be loved and Lorena will make damn sure of it.

"It's a girl!" Thomas announces suddenly with a newborn baby girl crying in his arms before he is able to calm her down while swaddling her in a blanket and carefully handing her over Lorena. "Congratulations, kid! Everything went as planned and your child is perfectly healthy."

Lorena's screams are silenced instantly, replaced by tears of joy streaming down her cheeks as the world seems to fade away with just the two of remaining before she carefully examines every perfect feature about her perfect daughter, from her sun kissed olive skin tone, to the small puff of brown hair already on her head, but one feature causes Lorena's tears to turn into ones of sadness and pain.

She doesn't know how she's been crying until Diana places a concerned hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. "Lorena are you both okay? What is it?"

"Her eyes are blue." Lorena says, showing her daughter to Diana with her tiny perfect blue eyes looking back at them in wonder that are exactly like Hunter and Steve's blue eyes.

Diana sighs because Lorena was right, those are the biggest triggers, but she must be strong for her so Lorena can be strong for her daughter in return, so Diana takes her hand and speaks in a soft tone. "Listen to me and always keep these next words in your heart, Hunter is here with you, he may not be here psychically, but he is watching now because he wouldn't miss this and he knows you're going to be a wonderful mother. Just trust yourself and be there for your daughter now."

Lorena locks eyes with her daughter and knows that baby has her hooked in the best way. She leans in and kisses her forehead with a tearfully smile. "Hi there, Green Bean. I'm your mama and I will make a promise to you here and now. I will always love you with everything I have, and you will be safe with me. I love you. Welcome to the world, we are your family." She says, gesture for everyone to gather and meet her new daughter.

The baby quickly becomes frightened the many people suddenly around her and begins to cry, sinking deeper into mother's arms for protection as Trini caresses her head to try soothing her. "We all know you had trouble coming up with one, but have you thought of the perfect name for her yet?"

"I have, finally. Thanks to Thomas's help, I was able to remember the similar name of a child friend she knew growing up in a Japanese neighborhood in New York. Her name was Tomiko, and since I have permission from Connor to use his father's name somewhere in my own kid's name, my daughter's full legal will be Tomiko Oliver Prince and we'll just use Tomi as a fun nickname for her. How's that sound? Do you like your name, huh?" Lorena asks Tomi in a soothing tone that is able to calm her down slowly.

The Rangers' Diana smiles when she sees Lorena so happy with her child. "What a wonderful name for her. With Tomi being born on Themyscira, there is no documentation to commemorate her birthday of February 4th 2025, so I will ask Bruce to have her birth certificate drawn up once both of you have rested and are ready to return home."

Lorena opens her mouth to say that she wants to stay in this universe more often to have her version of Diana close by now that they've made amends, but her Diana is the one who speaks up in her place. "That's a great idea. I think it's best for everyone if Lorena were to go home with you and the rest of her team once she is ready since that's her permanent home now."

"Hold on, wait! Don't I get a say in this?!" Lorena demands in protest, her hold on Tomi becomes shaky and uncertain as she looks at her version of Diana. "Now that we've made up, I don't want leave you and I don't want you to leave me either. With Tomi born now, I'm going to need your expert parenting lessons more than ever."

"And you'll still have the parenting advice from me, a version of me, anyway." The Rangers' Diana comes closes as her counterpart steps back, she gently takes Lorena's hand while admiring her granddaughter snuggled in her other arm. "When you appeared at my door with Hunter by your side after many years of thinking I would never see you again, I took you into my family and into my home with nothing except for love as I once did with your counterpart. Now, I extend the same love to your daughter, without question. please return home with us, your team and I still need you, Lorena."

Lorena looks at the close people around, they've become much more than her Ranger Team, they've become their family. Everything has been so insane over the last three days that she hasn't had time to think of her team, but she would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't miss them during that time, she needs them as much as they need her.

"Looks like coming home and brining this little Bean with me after we rest for a while. My travel pack is in Cassandra's room, can everyone go get it for me while I say goodbye to my version of Diana alone?" Everyone congratulates and hugs Lorena as they all walk out of the infirmary and leaves her alone with someone she doesn't want leave behind. Once everyone has left, Lorena makes sure Tomi is still comfortable in her arms before she turns to Diana. "I thought we were good now, so why are you sending me away?"

"We are good, but this is what's best for you and Tomi. Whether we like it or not, our paths are no longer crossed, they haven't been since the funeral and in that time, you have built a new life for yourself with a new family. One of the best things a parent can do for their child is let them thrive as they lead their own lives, that's a lesson I tried delaying with Hunter, I can't do the same with you. So, I let you go with love in my heart."

Diana sits down on Lorena's bed and presses a loving kiss to her forehead before giving the same loving kiss to Tomi. Lorena appreciates the gesture greatly, but something about the adventure in the Flashpoint Universe still troubles her. "Back when I was captured by Sovereign and she admitted to killing her son, it made me think of something I'm scared to bring up. We can say that she was different version of you all we want, but she looked exactly like you and she sounded exactly like you, she was you. So, could you ever do what she did to your own son, or Trini, or me?"

"No." Diana answers with a tone of deadly seriousness, pausing for a moment for Lorena to see the truth in her eyes. "I loved Hunter with my whole heart and soul and so much more, I still do! When I met you and Trini, my heart only grew to include both of you and now Tomi as well. Thomas said it best, that world made a monster out of her and she didn't deserve to love anyone. That's why I'm going back there to make the world a better place."

"If you say Cassandra has taken up the Wonder Woman mantle, then there is no reason as to why should change, she will be a fine warrior for the love of humanity. I will return to the Flashpoint Universe with Thomas to begin a romantic relationship with Queen Mera of Atlantis as I assume the role of Queen to the Amazons and unite our two peoples into one unified nation. Hopefully in a few years once everything in your life has settled down, you will return there with Tomi and see the peaceful world the three of us were able to make from the ashes of the old one."

"Tell Mera I say hi because we can't wait to see the kind of world you have made. Won't we?" Lorena says tearfully, looking down at Tomi as her blue eyes seem to blink in agreement before Lorena returns her focus back to Diana. "Well, then there seems to be new beginnings for everyone. I think we should have a toast to new beginnings." She says, eying the pitcher of water on the table next to her.

Diana grabs the pitcher to fill two cups of water before she hands one cup to Lorena with a melancholy yet hopeful smile on her face while keeping one for herself. They clink the glasses together with a sharp ping and drink as two old friends. "Yes child, to new beginnings!"  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read chapter 10 and 11 of A Prince's Legacy, then you knew Tomiko "Tomi" Oliver Prince was coming into the story eventually, it was only a matter of finding a natural place to write her in somehow. I'm sorry that Lorena has barely been a Power Ranger with her team when that's what the story is about, but things will change when she returns to Atlantis for something, and expect it be strangely meta because both Power Rangers and the upcoming Aquaman movie share an actor.


	3. Homecoming.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When duty calls her away, Lorena must leave months old daughter at home and return to her own childhood home with the Rangers in the search of something that could turn the tide in the battle for the Zeo Crystal as a old enemy emerges from Zordon's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Lorena will return to being a full Power Ranger with her team and the first part of the story is a sort of throwback to the original MMPR TV show as I merge the plots of two episodes together.
> 
> Comments on this story are welcome and appreciated because I want to start talking to you guys, so feel free to leave them whenever you like. Maybe stick around to read the end notes because I have two different possibilities on where to take a future chapter and I would welcome your feedback before I make a decision.

* * *

Diana misses this. She misses the peaceful late nights at home where it was just her and small children watching a Disney movie together or playing a board game. The truth of the matter is, she just misses having children running around her house constantly since her own son and daughter grew up into adulthood and began to take on the responsibilities such a role would entail, but everything changed when her children fell in love with different people and had children of their own. Tonight may not seem like much to someone else, but for Diana as a warrior who's fought in countless bloody battles over her limitless lifespan, it's more than enough.

On this particular Halloween night at Lorena's house, Diana is fully involved as she takes care of three children while the Rangers are attending a costume party in town, her oldest grandchild, Adrian Hart-Prince is sleeping on her couch in front of the Moana movie playing on the TV with family friend Paige Taylor following his lead next to him. However, Diana's immediate focus is on her youngest grandchild in her arms, Tomi Prince, who first graced the world with her tiny yet powerful presence eight months ago.

Tomi is being quite fussy at the moment, which is understandable when she has Lorena's fiery heart and Hunter's immense passion for life in her blood, but Diana has had many years of experience being a good parent, so she knows exactly how to calm the child down without waking the older children. She slowly moves around the living room while gently rocking her and speaking in a soft tone. "Shush, dry your tears, Little One. Your mother is on her way home to you now, I just know it."

She continues reassuring the baby and watching the other children until she is alerted by someone quietly knocking at the front door. Diana makes sure the children on the couch are still warm under a blanket as she walks towards the door with Tomi, but her eyes fall on the bowl of candy as she thinks of answering the door. Lorena set the bowl out for Diana to pass out candy to the trick or treaters before she went to the party and the bowl was emptied more and more with each costumed child at the door during the night. Now, it's late and Diana's heart is heavy with guilt as she has no more candy to give away.

"Sorry, I don't ha-" She opens the door ready to send the soon to be disappointed child away as peacefully as possible until she gets a closer look at who exactly is on the other side as Lorena stands on the doorstep wearing her Green Ranger Armor while she is absolutely drenched in orange pumpkin guts and seeds. Tomi squeals happily with glee at her mother and Diana must hold back laughter when seeing her this way. "What happ-"

"Please, don't ask. Shower first, then explanation, but I did miss you." Lorena enters her house and kisses Tomi's forehead through the closed mouth piece on her helmet, then she goes to start the Keurig machine in her kitchen to have a fully caffeinated cup of coffee for later before she walks towards the bathroom for a much needed shower with Diana and Tomi on her heels the whole way.

She turns on the hot water before her Ranger Armor fades away and she peels off her sticky costume after she's stepped in the shower. Lorena simply stands under the running shower head for a few minutes, allowing the warm water to cleanse her body of pumpkin guts and monster makeup she had accumulated over the course of one long, shitty night.

Diana takes Lorena's Power Coin out of the costume's pocket and places it on the counter for her before she throws the costume in the laundry to be washed, then she goes to grab pajamas from Lorena's bedroom and sits on the closed toilet seat to address Lorena while bouncing Tomi on her knee. "So, I take it your first night out without Tomi did not go as you planned?"

"No, I actually planned to ruin my only night out by fighting a pumpkin monster that covered me in its degusting insides." She responds in a sarcastic tone because she's had enough of the world's bullshit that took her away from Tomi. Once Lorena has calmed down, she gives a heavy, apologetic sigh as she thoroughly shampoos her hair and washes her body. "Sorry, you don't deserve that, only an explanation. The costume party was in full swing when the Rangers and I showed up at Ernie's, then a monster calling itself Pumpkin Rapper came for the Crystal."

"Pumpkin Rapper, seriously?" Diana asks in confusion, and Lorena pokes her head out of the shower to a give confirming nod while her body is still covered by the curtain. "And I thought some of my villains are strange."

"That's not even the strangest part." Lorena continues. "The monster only spoke in the musical style of Rap and after the team defeated the thing, it grew to size of skyscraper like Goldar did and the original five Rangers jumped in the Megazord to fight it again while I helped the townspeople to safety on the ground since I haven't found my Zord yet. So, I was caught in the splash zone when the monster exploded by the Megazord's cannons and now I have to air the pumpkin smell out of my car."

"Oh, I'm sorry, child... Is there any news on where to find your Zord yet since Billy found that Dagger for you?" Diana asks as the water turns off and she can see Lorena's hand reach out for two towels kept on a nearby rack.

"Nothing yet, just as it's been for the last seven years and Zordon isn't any help at all. I'm getting real tired of that man's shit, he's refused to give us anymore info on Psycho Rangers when we've begged him to and he's even refused to show up on the wall once we enter the Ship, which is tiring in the field when he won't give us info on what we're fighting."

Lorena swiftly opens the shower curtain wearing one towel around her body and another wrapped in her hair, she can tell by Diana's expression that they share the same hatred of Zordon after what he has done to the Rangers by training them to be child soldiers as she takes Tomi from Diana's arms and gives her daughter many furious kisses of love, that cause the child to squeal again. "Now that mama is all fresh and clean, she can give all the kisses you want. Did you miss me? I missed you so much it hurts."

Diana can see Lorena's hardened expression soften once Tomi in her arms again before her expression change yet again as tears stream from her eyes. "I know I had a long night, but I'm never leaving you ever again, I promise that and I mean it. I'm here for you now and forever, just stay with me, please."

"Are you okay?" Diana asks in a careful tone, quickly inferring that there's something more going on with Lorena. 

The young woman fully breaks down and Diana is right there to hold Lorena as she cries. "I thought I could easily leave Tomi here and have fun tonight, but I was so concerned about her safety at home that could barely focus on fighting the monster when the team was counting on me, I don't know how I'm supposed to be a Ranger or leave her everyday once I request my job back from my teaching sub if I'm so concerned about orphaning my child every time I leave her. What's wrong with me?"

"Listen to me, nothing is wrong with you." Diana guides Lorena's face up until she meets her calm eyes. "Separation anxiety is very common when parents leave their children for the first time. I experienced it with Hunter and Trini, but a way to combat it is to leave your child with someone who can be trusted, like me. I would die before any harm comes to my children, you, the Rangers, and Tomi included, I promise she will be safe with me whenever life calls you away from her." 

"Now, let's get you in some clothes so you're not in a towel all night long." Diana comforts Lorena over the time it takes the girl to get dressed in pajamas, but Diana can tell she is still effected by her fears as they go into the living room, so Diana tries her best to change the subject. "How did the rest of your night go, how was the costume party? Adrian told me Kimberly was finally able to convince Trini to go in a couples costume with her and I was curious if the team went in a group costume as well?"

Lorena chuckles, feeling better when she grabs her coffee while Tomi rests comfortably in her arms. "No, it was just them. Kim went as a medieval princess and Trini went as the gallant knight in shining armor who saves her, Jason went as Robin Hood and Billy was Sherlock Holmes while Zack showed up as King Tut and I'm not sure if you can tell from the massive amount of pumpkin goo now covering my costume, but I went as Frankenstein's Monster. I'll admit it, between the drinks and dancing, the party was pretty fun and I'm glad I went until the whole pumpkin thing happened."

"I'm glad you and the others had fun while it lasted. You can tell me all about it tomorrow, but I'd better get these children home before it gets to be too late." Diana says, placing a hand on Lorena's cheek as her eyes fall on the children still asleep on the couch and she silently moves both of them into her capable arms, then Lorena opens the door for her, but Diana lingers for a second. "I know you don't like celebrating this on the day, so I will say this to you now, happy birthday. Are you gonna do anything to celebrate yourself?"

Lorena's heart skips a beat when anyone mentions her birthday, which she hates with furious passion, she looks over at wall calendar covered with colored stick notes detailing doctor appointments and playdates for Tomi, including Lorena's birthday on November 2nd, those other events are certainly more important than a day also celebrating Día De Muertos. "No, at least not how I used to. Everything's so busy right now that I dont feel like going down Mexico this year. Just give me a peaceful day with you, Tomi, and the Rangers and that's more than enough."

"A peaceful day, you got it. I'll be back, then I want to goodbye to you and Tomi personally." Diana says, smiling warmly at Lorena before taking the children to her car.

While Diana is outside, Lorena moves to Tomi's room skillfully carrying Tomi herself, the coffee cup, and a laptop in her arms with a move Lorena has named the parent's juggle. She sets the cup and laptop down on a desk and kisses Tomi when she is placed in the crib as Diana enters once more. "Hey, I'm about to bring the children home, I just wanted to know if there's anything else you or Tomi needed?"

Lorena shakes her head, sitting down at the desk in Hunter's rocking chair and opening the laptop. "No, I'm going to get some work done for my teaching sub tomorrow while I try getting this little Bean to sleep through the night." Diana has a look of deep concern for Lorena, and she sighs in defiance. "Look, I know how you feel about me pulling late nights, but I only plan on staying up as long as it takes to get her to sleep, then I'm going to bed myself. How was Tomi tonight? I hope she didn't give you too much trouble."

Diana doesn't like how Lorena changes the subject of herself when her own health is concerned, even though she answers her question anyway. "Tomi was fussy, messy, and grouchy without you here, in other words, she is a perfectly normal baby for her age who just missed you. I had give her a second bath and change her clothes completely after rather sticky applesauce dinner, and I was able to calm her down by singing the same Greek lullabies I sung to Hunter and Trini. I think Tomi is more like her father then just the blue eyes they share."

"Can you please teach me how to speak Greek?" Lorena asks. "If the language calms her above anything else we've done, then I want to learn how to speak it fluently, for both of our sanities."#

"Tell you what, if you manage to get some sleep before midnight, then I would be happy to teach you like I have with my other children." Diana leans to kiss both Lorena and Tomi on their foreheads before leaving the room to lock up the house for the night, saying goodbye as she goes. "I love both of you, please get some sleep."

"I promise, mom." Lorena says in a sarcastic, joking manner, but after everything they've been through the years, Diana is more than comfortable with the honorary title. "I love you too, goodnight."

She doesn't keep her promise, instead she spends the early morning hours splitting her time between comforting Tomi to sleep, grading her student's essays on The Catcher And The Rye, and writing a lesson plan for tomorrow. Now, her face is pressed against the computer screen as she is seconds away from falling asleep until Tomi wails in her crib, waking her from a daze instantly.

"Shush, I'm up, I'm up. Please don't cry anymore." She picks Tomi up and holds her close while looking at her watch. "Wow, Tomi, you made it an hour and a half between outbursts, that's a new record for us. Hopefully soon you'll be able to cry on the inside like your dear mother and sleep through the night, until then, come here and tell me what's wrong?"

Tomi wails in her mother's arms not because she is hungry or tired, she wails just because she wants attention and Lorena is more than happy to oblige her by placing the child in her lap as they look over another student's essay on the laptop. "See this? In this paragraph, this girl makes one point as her thesis statement, but the evidence provided from the book, unknowingly disproves it. So, I'm gonna have to dock her a few points, her paper is now a B. What do you say to that?"

The girl eventually calms down as they grade papers together and gives a tiny yawn in agreement when Lorena needs to give a grade. Having Tomi so close seems to give Lorena the energy to try finishing her work within the three o'clock hour so both of them can get some sleep, but a question addressed to Tomi lingers in her mind once she shuts the laptop and takes a break. "Am I a good mother to you? You would tell me, right? 'Cause we're supposed to be a team, you and me, so at least give me a sign."

The only response Lorena receives from Tomi is the sound of her breathing softly as she finally sleeps soundly, hugging Lorena as if she is the most important person in the world. Lorena just sighs contently, leaning down to kiss her daughter goodnight as she knows none of her questions matter because Tomi thinks she is enough and that's all she cares about. "I love you, Green Bean. Sleep well and I'll be right here when you wake up."

* * *

The Green Power Coin buzzes from inside Lorena's pocket the next morning, giving her seconds to slowly wake up before her phone ringing with a video call from Trini finishes the job. Trini smiles as the phone is answered, then it disappears when seeing Lorena's tired face. "Hey, I'm not sure you felt your Coin buzz just then, the others and I think we should meet up at the Ship to see what Zordon wants, are you up for it too? Forgive me, but you don't look so good."

Lorena chuckles and rubs sand from her eyes because she knows Trini means well. "Yeah, just another late night with Tomi, I'll be there soon-ish, just have to let Diana know I'm coming by with Tomi first. Did everyone's kids make it home okay last night?

"Yep, mom brought them home safe and sound, Zack said it was fine if Paige crashed here with Adrian until morning and I convinced Diana to stay the night as well, so everyone's okay. It's my turn to pick up the team's early morning breakfast order from Krispy Kreme, do you want anything?"

"Two donuts, one glazed and the other chocolate with sprinkles, and two cups of the strongest coffee they have with cream and sugar, please." Lorena answers without even hesitating, giving a thankful smile to the phone. "Thank you, Trini. I will pay you back once we all meet up."

Trini is quick to playfully wave Lorena off. "Don't worry about it, I remember those same late nights with Adrian. See you soon-ish, love you."

"Love you, too." Lorena says before hanging up the phone and putting it in her pocket with her Coin as Tomi begins to stir awake, she smiles at her daughter while standing up and leaving the room so they can begin the day with determination. "Let's get dressed and head off to your abuela, then mama has to go to work!"

Not even wearing Hunter's green army jacket is any comfort to Lorena as she approaches the Rangers with a heavy heart after she had to leave Tomi behind again, she absolutely hates being away her for any amount of time that causes her to worry, but the team and mission come first before love as Trini hands her a bag of donuts and a tray of two coffees.

The others don't even have to ask how Lorena is doing when she downs the coffees back to back without taking a breath, then digs into the bag for a donut, much to everyone's shock especially Kimberly, who has concern on her face as she steps forward with care after seeing Lorena's tired state "Are you still good to do this? You don't have to, why don't you go home, be with Tomi and we'll handle whatever Zordon has for us."

In response, Lorena gives a small glare as she finishes her second donut. "Look, I understand your concern for me, but I'm apart of this team too and I'm not gonna leave you guys when I'm needed. Now, I've just had coffee and sugary donuts to function properly, so can we please see what Zordon wants before I crash?"

"Yeah, let's do it." Jason smiles at her before stepping off the cliffs into the water below, then the other Rangers following his lead to the Ship with Lorena being the first person to enter the Morphing Gird room in a hurry where she expects Zordon, but he is nowhere to be seen on the wall, which grows Jason's anger because it's been this way for months and he is tired of this shit. "Zordon, I'm going to give you once chance to show up today and tell us what's up or my team and I are walking out."

Suddenly, Zordon's face booms onto the wall, surprising no one because they're used to his entrances by now. "Worry not, Jason. There is a reason why I've been so distant over these months, Alpha and I have been doing research on where to find Rita's Zord after it was lost in the sea when my team landed here, and we've finally found the location of the Dragonzord!"

"That's great, Zordon." Kimberly says, seeming unimpressed. "If the team's able to get it, then we want answers not just on the Psycho Rangers and who sent them, but everything you're hiding from us. Everything, understand?" She demands as the rest of the team stands behind her in this matter, and Zordon nods in agreement to their terms. "Alright, where is it?"

"This place holding the Dragonzord has taken many names over the centuries, but you humans generally know it as the mythical lost city of Atlantis."

"Atlantis, really? Next you're gonna tell us there's another Zord on some far away planet or another group of alien Rangers out there. I know Aquaman exist somewhere in the world, but is Atlantis even a real place?" Zack bursts out in absurd laughter until Lorena nearly faints on the metal ground if wasn't for Kimberly and Trini catching her.

Lorena struggles to breathe for a few seconds, she always knew Atlantis existed on this earth as well as her own, but she was always too afraid of experiencing the now painful childhood memories of Arthur and Mera to ever go down there after she and Hunter rescued Diana when Orm tried to invade the surface. "Atlantis is a very real place, I assure you. I am the Queen, or at least I was until Hunter and I abdicated the throne back on our earth for a peaceful life and since my doppelganger is dead on this earth, I don't plan on taking it back."

"I almost went down there myself once." Trini adds, her anger growing steadily as she explains to the group. "Back when I was an ordinary teenager during the time Hunter traveled the world, Orm sent an Atlantean War Party to attack my house and drag my mom into the sea knowing my brother would rescue her without hesitation. I was so worried and angry that I used some of my mother's savings for a plane ride to Tokyo to tell you and Hunter personally."

"You wouldn't let me go with you to save her the first time because it was unsafe for me as a human, now I'm have my armor for protection and all the abilities that comes with it. So, I'm going with you this time, no exceptions."  Trini demands in a caring tone and the others are quick to agree, except for Jason, who is trying to calm Billy down from having a panic attack.

"I -I don't think I can come with you on this mission. I want to go and explore more than anything, but I still have nightmares about Rita killing me after all these years and with that much water around me, I would slow down everyone with all the panic attacks I would have, I'm so sorry." Billy admits, the words stammer out of his mouth until Lorena stands and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Billy, there's nothing to be sorry about. If you don't want come, then we understand, I promise to take pictures so you don't miss anything."  Her eyes fall on Jason's hand intertwined with Billy's in a loving, supportive manner. "Jason, I'm assuming you're staying behind with Billy and to protect the town?"

He nods, kissing Billy passionately while their hands are still connected. "Yeah, someone has to stay behind to protect the Crystal and two Rangers are better than one, we'll probably stay at Diana's place to watch your kids and defend the town if the others want to go with you to Atlantis, wherever it is."

"The most direct route to the city is in my hometown of Amnesty Bay, another place I thought I would never go again." Lorena sighs, heavily, pushing down painful memories when they threaten to come back to the surface. "I don't want leave Tomi at all, but if I'm the only person who can access the Dragonzord, then we better catch a flight to the east coast before day's end. Zordon, is there an exact location on the Zord?"

"All that is known from the Dragonzord's scan is that it's in the heart of city's structure. Your armor is adaptable in any environment or situation, meaning it will provide oxygen and protection from the crushing ocean depths during your search for the Zord. I will give you all the answers when the full team returns safely. Good luck, Rangers."

"I don't like any of this at all!" Diana grumbles angrily to Trini as they pack suitcases and supplies in the trunk Lorena's Firebird some time before the Rangers have to leave for the airport later that night. "I don't like how you're going to be away from me and your family on a fool's errand in a far away place that has only brought this family pain. Your brother's death was certain the moment he felt the weight of a ruler's crown. There has to be another way to get the Zord!"

She quickly shuts the trunk once everything is packed, leaning against the car for support as tears fall onto the black paint and Trini knows she is thinking of Hunter as she reaches out for a hug. "It's only going to be for two days, mom, I promise to be safe, but I also promised to help Lorena and get her out of Atlantis as fast as possible since she doesn't want to be there either. I won't abandon her on this mission when you wouldn't. I love you, mama."

Diana sighs, admiring Trini for her strong force of will towards her friends as they share a long, close hug and she leans down to kiss her forehead. "I won't pretend to understand the intricacies of what you and the other Rangers do, but I will support you nevertheless. I love you too, have fun, please be safe and look after the team, especially Lorena."

Trini nods dutifully and slowly lets go of Diana before walking towards Kimberly and Zack, who are saying goodbye to the respective children as Paige stomps her feet defiantly. "I don't want you to go, daddy! You promised to never leave me when mom and nana left us, so why are you leaving with my aunts now?"

It breaks Zack's heart as he remains strong and wipes away her tears and holds Paige close. "I know, kiddo, but something's important come up and they need me like you do, alright? I will be coming back to you, I just have to go across the country on this little quest to help Aunt Rainy first. I love you, kiddo, I'll be back before you can even miss me."

Then children faces light up when a quest is mentioned, and Adrian joyfully jumps up and down with boundless enthusiasm. "A quest, like the ones in the table-top RPG we all play together sometimes?"

"Exactly, it's gonna be so much fun." Kimberly says, matching his mood as she and Trini hug their son while looking at Diana and Lorena. "We love you so much, remember to help Grandma take care of things around here when we're gone and both of you kids stay a safe distance away from your uncles when they have that look like they're gonna blow something up, get me?"

The three Rangers each give their children one final hug, then enter the car watching Tomi trying to hold Lorena's face in her cute, tiny hands as Lorena tries her best to choke out her emotional goodbye for her daughter. "You're gonna be a good little bean for your abuela and I want to hear all about your adventures together when I get back from mine. I love you so much and I love you, Diana for being so awesome with you."

She holds Tomi close for a minute, kissing her head even up to the moment where she must carefully hand her to Diana and get into the Firebird in order to make the flight on time, then she races down the street without looking at the people waving goodbye in the rearview mirror out of the fear that she'll see Tomi and turn back. Luckily, Zack soon offers levity from the passenger seat when the separation becomes unbearable.

"Hey, how come this car smells like pumpkin so much?"

* * *

 After a nearly six flight and another hour by rental car Lorena finally drives the over the town line of Amnesty Bay, Maine as the early morning sun peeks over the horizon to her left. She feels a sense of community and nostalgia wash over her while driving further and noticing how little the charming coastal town has changed since she was seventeen, there are still fishermen preparing their boats for the morning catch, and people waving to one another as the small businesses open to make sure everyone begins the day in a pleasant mood. Lorena sighs regretfully, wishing she had come back sooner because the town isn't as bad as she would like to remember.

Kimberly wakes up first from her sleeping spot on Trini's shoulder once the sun hits her eyes and she takes in the homespun sights with a yawn before addressing Lorena in the seat ahead of her. "So, this is Amnesty Bay? The town you grew up in? I like it, very close and homey, and a place I wouldn't mind retiring to with Trini someday."

"Yeah, it's had the same effect on from me since I was taken in by Arthur and Mera as a baby to the day I left at seventeen on a mission to protect Hunter, now I'm feeling that effect again and I'm not sure it's good or bad yet." She says, her tone changing to one of sadness and guilt.

"Why wouldn't that be a good thing?" Kimberly asks, noticing her tone change with a raised eyebrow of curiosity.

"Depends on who you left behind when you first leave home. This place was my first home, I remember learning to ride my bike on these sidewalks and learning to drive on these streets, I remember everything, including my earth's version of Arthur and Mera. I left thinking and hoping I would see them again one day, but they were killed before I could, leaving me with only the pain of remembering once happy memories. Amnesty Bay is just a big memory of a life I left behind. Especially this restaurant."

Lorena quickly pulls a sharp left and forcefully wakes up Trini and Zack with the sudden jerking movement as the car enters a parking spot of a seafood restaurant. They look at her in anger and sleepy confusion while she gives a wide apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, welcome to Sam's Seafood Restaurant and Diner. Who's wants coffee with some fish and chips?"

"Coffee sounds great right now. Thanks." Trini holds onto Kimberly's arm to stabilize herself and Zack as Lorena leads them into the restaurant, she shows the same distaste for its nautical theme that her brother once did when he walked in for the first time, but Lorena is slowly becoming overjoyed to be back in town while waiting at the counter to order.

"Hi, can I get four cups of coffee with cream and sugar in all of them, along with one order of fish and chips, please?" The waitress nods, writing down the order before going off in the direction of the kitchen. Nearly fifteen minutes go by until the food is ready and during that time, Lorena remains bored scrolling through a photo album of Tomi pictures on her phone with the others until she sees a blonde middle-aged woman drinking coffee in a booth out of the corner of her eye and the memories all come flooding back to her mind. "Officer Jenny?"

Jenny's eyes light up with joy once she spots Lorena as well and she immediately races to hug her quicker than anyone could've imagined. "Oh, my god, as I live and breathe, Lorena Marquez. It's good you see you again, kid. How have you been after all these years? Why are you in town? Who are your friends? When did you get married, and who's the lucky one?" She asks, rambling as she notices the wedding ring on Lorena's finger and the other people behind her.

"Actually, my last name is Prince now." Lorena chuckles, gesturing to the Rangers. "I suppose introductions are in order. Jenny, while my husband couldn't be here today, this is my sister-in-law Trini Hart-Prince, her wife Kimberly, and a family friend Zack Taylor. Guys, this is Officer Jennifer Ferguson, she was a close friend Arthur and Mera, and someone who got me out of more arrests as a teenager more times than I can count."

"Yeah, Lorena was quite the teenage anarchist for animal rights in her younger days, aquatic and otherwise. I remember taking her home to Arthur and Mera in handcuffs after she was caught spray painting outside the local aquarium." She shakes each of their hands with a smile, then heads to the door with coffee in hand. "Maybe I'll tell you all her stories one day, but I start my morning run. It was good to meet you all and it was see you again, kid, happy birthday."

She gives a friendly wave before walking out, leaving Zack stunned by the news of Lorena's birthday as Lorena pays and picks up her order. "It's your birthday? Why didn't you tell anyone on the team? We would've thrown a big party for you, I'm sure Billy could've programmed Zordon's wall to put a party hat on the old crank."

"I knew." Trini interjects, passing out the coffees and keeping one for herself as they leave the restaurant. "She's my sister-in-law and we became close during the time Hunter traveled, so I had known everything about her for a long time before I met the Rangers."

"Me too, so does the rest of the team except for you." Kimberly adds while taking a drink from her cup. "The only reason you want to celebrate anything is because you want to party when Lorena doesn't want to celebrate at all, she doesn't want anything to do with the day." Lorena nods, confirming her claim without looking back. Instead her eyes are focused on Jenny while she stretches for her run.

"Officer Jenny? I'm not just in town to see the sights again or catch up with old friends. I'm also here on a mission, do you think you can take us to the destroyed ruins of the Curry Lighthouse?"

The officer stands from stretching and looks at Lorena in pure confusion. "Destroyed ruins, what are you talking about? It hasn't been destroyed, I drove past it earlier this week. The Curry Lighthouse is in the same place it's always been, Arthur and Mera left the house to you in their will, don't you remember?"

"Sure do." Without warning, Lorena foregoes her food and breaks into a full sprint towards the lighthouse, hoping the Rangers will catch up as her pace picks up faster and faster until the world around her becomes a blur like she is being transported back the past. Finally, she comes upon the perfectly normal white lighthouse standing tall and not a pile of total ruble like it was on her earth after Orm attacked, she kicks in the front door with the Rangers standing behind her as she expects to hear Arthur and Mera greeting her, only to be met with a darkened house that looks to have been ransacked a few years ago.

Her knees wobble and she wants fall down in tears when see that they're not here again. "Please meet me at the top of the lighthouse tower in a few minutes, I need to gather my things." The other Rangers nod at each other, then split off in different rooms of the house while Lorena goes to her old counterpart's childhood bedroom.

Lorena stands at the door completely frozen as she notices how identical it is to her own room on the day she left at seventeen and she almost can't handle it when everything is a memory, the bed with all purple sheets that she used to jump up and down on constantly next to an acoustic guitar in the corner, paint canvasses and art supplies on her desk behind  the seasons of Avatar The Last Airbender and Legend Of Korra that were instrumental in helping her learn to control her Aqua-Kinetic abilities.

A hand on Lorena's shoulder snaps her out of her memories and she raises her fists, expecting a fight until Trini raises her hands in surrender. "Whoa, it's me, I'm just here to check on you. Are you okay, do you need to be alone?" Lorena gives a shaky nod to her question while trying to catch her breath from fright, and Trini takes her hand to offer comfort. "Okay, take your time, we're here for you."

All Lorena wants right now is to stay here among the memories, but she has work to do. She opens a chest at the foot of her bed and takes out her Atlantean War Armor and the Trident of Neptune before taking off her street clothes to wear a bluish-green skintight scale armor in its place. Once she has dressed herself, Lorena places her Green Coin and water proof phone in the pockets before going straight out the window with the trident in hand as she climbs the tower to meet the Rangers.

Upon hopping the railing, Lorena smiles bashfully when Zack, Trini, and Kimberly see her not as a Ranger or as their friend but a powerful queen standing in front of them in all of her glory with the sun at her back until she has to bang the trident on the stone floor to get their attention. "Guys, put your tongues back in your mouths. It's still me, I'm just wearing this to blend in while we're in Atlantis."

"Wow, as your friend, I have to say you look absolutely amazing in blue as well as green." Zack says, hiding his blushing cheek behind his phone while taking a photo. "So, um, how do we get to Atlantis from here?"

"Thank you, it's very simple, Zack. Morph and follow me down." Lorena places the trident in a harness on her back and hops back on the railing, her body sways back and fourth between solid dry ground and the crashing waves onto the lighthouse before she winks at them and willingly allows herself to fall backwards into the inviting water below in a display of badassary, daring the other Rangers to follow her lead.

Her teammates rush to the edge of the railing, worried that something might've happened to Lorena to see her splashing in the water fearlessly, and they shrug while morphing into their Ranger Armor because they've done crazier shit in their first week of training, then they dive into the water after her. Down, down the Rangers go to become lost in the secret world below.

As they go deeper and deeper, the world becomes darker and darker for the uninitiated Rangers, their only conformation that they're still on track towards something when they have to form a handheld chain with Lorena at the helm because she knows the way to Atlantis like the back of her hand. Soon, the chain of people abruptly bumps into one another when Lorena stops suddenly a far distance from a encompassing light source.

"We're here. Welcome to Atlantis, welcome to my home." Lorena announces, her voice is barely above a scared whisper that comes with her being back as the other Rangers peek out from behind her at the mythical city they had only heard about in stories. From a far away, the city appears to be shining brightly beneath a glass dome covering the entire massive city like a pristine safety bubble.

"Why does Atlantis look like that?" Zack asks, being unimpressed by the city, bring everyone out of their quiet moment. "I mean, I expected Atlantis to be a lot more open and flowy. Shouldn't people be swimming about freely, so why is it kept in a glass case?"

"It wasn't always that way, Zack." Lorena says gravely, studying the surrounding area for a way to enter the city secretly. "After Atlantis sunk to the bottom of the sea, people from all nationalities adapted to their new lives by building this dome to grow the civilization in secret and ward off coming attacks while still having the comforts of dry land if they need it."

"Is there somewhere we could enter the city quietly?" Trini asks, noticing Lorena's inquisitive expression.

"Yes. It's going to be dangerous and you're probably not going to like it, so it's right up our alley. Do you guys see those supply ships far off in the distance?" Lorena points to a docking area near the edge of city as one small ship enters Atlantis before the gates close and another ship leaves on a run at breakneck speed. "If things haven't changed from the last time I was here, those ships are doing trading runs between the seven kingdoms of the seven seas. So, we hide in the bushes until we see a ship coming, then we'll find a way to latch on it and enter the city quietly... Okay, its not my best plan, but it's the only one I have at the moment."

"That's a terrible plan... Let's do it." Kimberly says with a sly smirk beneath her helmet.

After the Rangers assume a stalking position in the nearby brush, it doesn't take for another supply ship to approach and Lorena know she'll have one shot at this if they all want to go home with only minor broken bones, so the team holds each other's hand as Lorena swims faster than the ship until she is able to swim in front of it where she throws the others toward the ship in a slingshot maneuver, hoping they'll hang on to something as she is hit by the same ship in the hopes she will find something for herself.

The world around Trini is spinning, or maybe it's just her, it's defiantly her and she needs to stop that. At this moment the Yellow Ranger wishes she had her mother's god strength when she is able to reach out for some exposed cables with one hand to stop her tumble and pop her shoulder out in the process seconds before she must carefully catch Kimberly with her free hand once she comes into view, then Kimberly must do the same for Zack when he flies by. Lastly, Lorena is the final person to be caught by Zack in the same manner as the others, making the Rangers nothing more in this moment but four idiots struggling to hang onto the back of a watercraft like it's moving down the highway at such a high speed in attempt to throw them off with no signs of stopping, no matter how much they wish the ship would stop.

Luckily, only a few minutes pass before the ship lands in a small single craft hanger and the room drains of water to make unloading process easier. Zack collapses on his knees as his helmet fades away in effort to get fresh air into his lungs with the others doing the same thing themselves. "Th-that was totally insane... even for us." Their relief is only momentary before Lorena pulls her team into the shadows when she hears voices of people coming closer, but she wasn't expecting to hear a voice from her past.

"Start unloading these boxes to deliver at the palace, and I'll move those boxes to refugees, but be quick about and stay out of sight of King Rath and his forces, understand?" Murk commands, grabbing a box of supplies from the ship while his fellow soldier grabs another.

"Yes Captain."

Zack's eyes slowly widen while he remains quiet because the more he stares at Murk, the more he realizes he recognizes this mysterious Atlantean man from his family's past, but he can't quite put his finger on where he knows this man. He wants to reveal himself to this man and get answers for the memory of his mother until Lorena places her hand on his and shakes her head in a silently plea for him to stay put before she enacts a plan of her own.

Lorena morphs into the Green Ranger Armor while waiting for the other soldier to turn around, then she quickly repositions herself in the shadows so Murk won't see what's coming seconds before she grabs him from behind, holding a hand over his mouth and the Dragon Dagger at his throat as she speaks in a freighting whisper using the helmets voice scrambler. "Captain Murk, don't call out for help or attack, or I'll slit your throat where you stand. Now, tell your buddy to get lost, we need to chat."

"Dolphin, you did well helping me move the supplies, why don't you take a thirty minute lunch break or something and I'll unload the rest, okay?" Murk says in a levelheaded tone despite his current predicament. The white haired beauty nods and skips off to someplace that isn't working. Murk's tone turns gravely serious once she is out of earshot. "I won't go quietly if you're here for the shipment, the people of Atlantis need these supplies just to survive under King Rath's cruelty."

"I'm not here to hurt you, old friend." Lorena's helmet dissolves and she puts the Dagger away, then takes Murk into a deep hug, the kind of hug coming from having someone from her past life a Queen before she ever became a Ranger while Murk is trying to work out how she is here standing strong in the flesh after she died some years ago. "Like I said, I just want to talk."

Murk smiles at the sight of Lorena, the first smile she has ever seen from the grizzled warrior. "Of course, kelp. Forgive me for being blunt, but Atlantis had received word that you and King Hunter died, so how are you here hugging me now in this strange otherworldly armor?"

"It's been a strange few years and I have very little time to explain. That was my counterpart who died, I'm from another earth in the multiverse, but I have all the memories and experiences she once did including this tattoo, see?" The armor around Lorena's left arm recedes momentarily and she rolls up her sleeve to show her Honor Guard Captain tattoo, then Murk shows the same tattoo on his arm with a smile of remembrance of the day Lorena succeeded him as Captain.

"Guys, unmorph and come out, please." Lorena says, looking at where the Rangers are in the shadows as their helmets fade away and walk out, revealing themselves slowly with Zack trying to hide himself from Murk behind Trini's small frame, which draws Murk's eyes on him in particular. "Captain, these are some members of my new team, we are here to-"

"To help kill Rath and save Atlantis from his rule." Murk finishes her sentence without knowing the full scope of their mission, only his own. "That's way you're here, right? And with perfect timing too. Now you can inspire the people to overthrow their bastard king and we can replace him with a true caring queen, you."

The other Rangers can see Lorena smile at the complement before her expression turns serious once again and she takes a step away from Murk and closer to her team, showing him who she stands with now. "I appreciate that you think I was a good Queen during my short tenure, but I am not here to take the throne back and rule Atlantis when I have a new responsibility to my team as we try to accomplish our ever more difficult mission to save the greater world, I'm sorry."

An expression of anger grows on Murk's face and everyone knows that isn't the answer he wanted to hear. Instead of acting with rage, Murk takes a calming breath before speaking a tone that is noticable less friendly. "Come with me, I want to show you all something."

The Rangers' armor fully desolve in the time it takes Murk to lead them to the heart of the city, and Lorena can't look away from the countless citizens lining the streets living in squallier with a look like they've been living this way for awhile and they no longer have hope of things ever returning to normal. Murk leads the Rangers in the middle of two massive crowds of people on different sides. One group is on their knees during intense prayer towards a profit and the god he represents behind them while the other group screams in protest, wanting to take action to save Atlantis instead of total apathy.

Murk picks up a  nearby Molotov Cocktail off the ground and lights it on fire before forcing it into Lorena's hands. "This is what has become of Atlantis in your absence, my Queen. Family has turned against one another leaving innocents in the crossfire, everyone is on edge because they know war is a very close inevitability, all it would take is a single push against the mad King Rath, who believes that some mystical dragon will bring Atlantis back to prosperity, but will only end up bringing destruction." 

"I am not your queen anymore!" Lorena growls at Murk, shoving the cocktail back at him. "And I even if I still was, I wouldn't allow a revolution where innocents could be hurt. Atlantis is much better than this pointless war and damn you for believing that my team and I are the last option. What happened to make you such a sad, desperate old man?..."

As Lorena continues arguing with Murk, Trini glances around at the different factions and her eyes are drawn to the mass of religious cultists and she slowly turns around to see what they are praying at. "Guys, stop fighting for a second, you'll want to see this." When Lorena ignores her further in favor of having a screaming match with Murk, she forcefully grabs Lorena's arm to turn her around towards the towering sight of massive rusted Dragonzord standing at the entrance of the royal palace in the center of Atlantis.

The Dragonzord stands at least as tall as the Rangers' fully combined Megazord, if not taller with a Godzilla like head and body features, including menacing red eyes and snaring teeth, three massive cannons on each clawed hand, another six cannons surround the cockpit housed in the chest area above the legs that have the same crest on the kneecaps as on her Dragon Dagger, lastly, the tail seems to stretch out into a flail mace sharpened in a drill head. Lorena feels her Coin burn with evil and she knows Rita had already started down her dark path when designing this monstrosity.

"You gotta be fucking kidding? Can we have one day where we complete our mission without burning everything to the ground in spectacular fashion?" Lorena sighs in exhaustion, wishing she never left her house with Tomi this morning as runs towards the Zord with the other Rangers following her lead while Murk runs beside them.

The Rangers are in total awe of the Zord as they sneak past the crowds to get behind the machinal beast with Kimberly being the first person to try making sense of the sudden and impossible task before them. "Lorena, there is no chance in hell we get this Zord out of Atlantis without causing further damage to the city and you know this place best, so what's the plan?"

"I don't know yet, I'm sorry." Lorena apologizes while she tries clearing her mind as her hand moves around where she expects the door seam to be until she sees the jade dragon on the Dragon Dagger's hilt shine with green light and she presses it slowly, activating a green hologram of sheet music played on the Dagger itself like a flute. "After several years of being a Ranger I never thought I would say this again, but this keeps getting weirder."

"I'm more a guitar kind of girl, but let's give this a shot." Lorena studies the notes for a moment, then she brings the Dagger to her lips, playing a tune with help of the buttons on the weapon's hilt that cause the Zord to power up in a bloodcurdling roar and a ramp to open out of the tail, inviting the Rangers to explore the dark, foreboding Zord only lit by green flame candles on the wall.

While Atlantis erupts in chaos of having the Dragonzord active, Lorena pulls everyone together after coming up with a quick plan. "Alright, if we need to get the Dragonzord out of here, then we're gonna do it loudly with style like we always do. Zack and I are going in there to fully boot up the Zord, Trini, Kim, I want you to disguise yourself as nobles from one of the seven other cities and go the palace with Murk to learn everything you can about this Rath guy, including how to stop him if he comes for the Zord. I'll call both of you back here when it's time to go."

Trini nods, grabbing Kimberly's hand as they begin walking away with Murk before she turns back with a question for Lorena. "Wait, have you been these prissy regal parties before? So, how do we act like we actually belong there? My mom has always been the down to earth type of woman, she never taught me to be royal."

 "Just smile and sell like you don't give a shit about anyone, including yourself. Just channel your inner Kimberly from her cheerleader days and you'll do just fine." Lorena gives a helpless shrug, drawing the shock of Kimberly before Trini pulls her along. "And if Rath is a dangerous cultist as I'm told, then don't drink or eat anything he gives you, especially if it's Kool-Aid."

"You two are going to do great, I believe in you." Zack gives the girls two thumbs up for encouragement, and Kimberly and Trini are not sure if he's being serious as they head to the palace, then he and Lorena turn on their phones flashlight's and Lorena prepares to step inside until Zack grabs her hand. "I'm glad Billy upgraded the team's phones to be waterproof and all, but this Zord once belonged to Rita. You don't think she set traps for the person who found the Green Power Coin in the future, do you?"

"Good point." Lorena says, knowing Rita's sick thoughts well from the extened time she's spent in her head as an uninvited guest. Both she and Zack morph and draw their respective weapons in defense before they take their first careful steps into the Zord with Lorena leading in front to closely guard her younger teammate. "Stay behind me!"

Back at the palace, Kimberly and Trini stumble in one of the long corridors wearing loose fitting noble disguises they got from Murk's supply crates. Now, they're on the way to the banquet hall to investigate Rath until Trini wanders into the room of royal portraits, her eyes scan over portrait of Queen Atlanna standing behind a young Orm as both of them scowl at the artist and she is tempted to destroy it after what that man has done to her family when her focus quickly shifts to Lorena's portrait with Arthur and Mera.

Kimberly joins Trini and they share a confused expression, followed by playfully laughter at the sight of a five year old Lorena seeming very uptight and regal in a puffed out dress that she clearly hates with a fierce passion from the uncomfortable and disgusted expression on her face. Just looking at the young girl in the portrait, she seems so unlike the colorful free spirited woman they have come to know and love now.

"If Lorena was here, she would tell you that was the worst day of her childhood above all the other days." Murk says suddenly, drawing attention while his hand is the door to the banquet hall. "She hated the dress and she hated sitting still even more. No matter what was tried, she wouldn't sit still long enough for the painter to do his job until Arthur and Mera finally bribed her with dinner at Sam's. Enough reminiscing, Are you ladies ready?"

"We're coming, Zack." Kimberly says, silently cursing at herself for letting the name slip from her mouth because Murk and Zack look so similar.

"Who's Zack?" The name feels vaguely familiar on Murk's tongue, but he can't remember where he's heard it from as he holds the door open for the girls.

Once Murk opens the door, Kimberly and Trini have surprise dominating their expressions when they look at The Great Gatsby-esque party going on before their eyes. There are nobles dancing on the tables with no regard for the food, servants, or the starving people outside and King Rath sits in the center of the carelessness. The scoundrel has greasy hair slicked back and a sickening sneer on his face as he sloppily drinks from a cup, spotting Murk at the entrance. "Captain, didn't you hear, the gods have spoken to me and our prayers have been answered. So, I'm continuing last night's party to celebrate the awaking of the dragon God before salvation comes to us all."

Murk steps forward with a forced smile at Rath, speaking in a pained tone of voice. "I did, my King. That's why I brought more guests to enjoy your splendid company." He steps aside and Kimberly comes near, trying to seem as fancy as possible. "May I present Princess Kimberly of the Xebel Kingdom and her w-"

"Her whipping girl, of course. Only a servant of so little class would wear such hideous rags and call them clothes." Rath interrupts, taking Trini at face value by the rushed nature of her disguise, causing her to lunge out and try attacking him until Murk holds her back and Kimberly sits down right next to the King. "She's feisty, Murk. Enjoy doing what you will with her while I entertain the Princess personally."

"Whipping girl? Come here and I'll show you who deserves a whipping, you Pendejo. If my family heard you talking to me this way, they would kick your ass without mercy, hijo de puta. Vete a la miedra!" Trini hurls insult after insult while Murk is forced to drag her out of the room kicking and screaming, leaving Kimberly behind. She continues yelling and pushing her way back inside until Murk must block her. "Please stand aside, so I can go back in there and rip his head off!"

"Me too, Trini, but I implore you to stay calm." Murk sighs heavily before his eyes land on a spiral staircase next to the hall and he comes up with a plan. "I'm going to place you in the kitchen downstairs, see what you can learn about defeating Rath from the other staff while Kimberly and I do the same up here. When Rath calls the food to be delivered, that's when we'll also enact our plan to take him down once and for all."

Trini agrees to the plan in a huff of anger because Murk is so similar to Zack in every sense of the word, his attitude is laid back, but Trini can tell that he's had years of battle experience and can be serious if things come down to it. She stomps her way to the kitchen, finding it complete disarray so it's easy for her to slip in and pick up a serving tray unnoticed as she begins talking with people. "It's my first day, so what the big fucking deal about this Rath guy?"

The girl next to her flinches in fear, nearly dropping a full tray of food. "Please don't talk about our King that way, he is a very kind King who deserves nothing expect our undying respect and devotion because he is the tamer of dragons. Soon, his party guests will go home drunk and we will receive his table scraps as a gift, I just hope I can make my portion last after I give some to my children. 

"Right, the tamer of dragons is neat and all, but he's an idiot who doesn't care about his people. Don't you ever want to have a revolt against your King and return Atlantis back to the peaceful people's democracy it's supposed to be? You know, Viva La Revolución. My mother always said to fight for those who can't fight for themselves, so I am here to fight for you and all the other oppressed people of Atlantis."

Trini can see the girl give a small smile at the idea of revolution and she wants to take the time to explore it more until the head chief screams orders at them to get out and serve the soup course to the hungry guests upstairs. Her eyes immedatily fall on Kimberly once Trini enters the banquet hall again and she goes to serve her first before anyone else, much to Rath's anger.

He places a hand under the tray and forces the soup upward into Trini's face, causing her anger to seamer beyond belief because if she wanted to be humiliated like this, she would've stayed in high school. Her anger only grows when Rath insults her before turning his full attention back to Kimberly while trying to hold her hand. "Doesn't a peasant like you know the King eats before anyone, fool. God, some people cannot follow orders no matter how hard you try, I hope you'll be different when you join me in my bed chamber tonight." 

Kimberly fiercely pulls her hand away, her focus is entirely on Trini, who is kneeling on the floor trying to salvage what's left of the soup to keep her cover. "I'm very happily married and if my wife was here, she would be enraged with what you're trying to pull right now."

"Oh a wife, you say? Well, if your wife was here, then maybe we could work out some favor that benefits all three of us."

"How 'bout no and fuck off." Trini says, grabbing a bowl of soup and dumping it on his head before kicking him in the stomach across the floor, then she kisses Kimberly in full view of everyone while raising her fist in the air triumphally with a bold and unmistakable proclamation for change to come forcefully. "Viva La Revolución!"

"I guess this happening now." It's not the plan Murk wanted, but it's the only one that matters now, so he uses the chaos to spring out of his chair and grab an Atlantean assault rife from an unsuspecting soldier to fight with the now morphed Rangers as they all push against the King's guard because Trini was right, the revolution for Atlantis has begun. 

After walking through the Dragonzord for what seems like an hour, the Green and Black Rangers know the boredom is finally getting to them and Zack takes a step to break the long silence between them. "I know I we're supposed to be on a serious mission, but Billy texted me a list of questions regarding your reign as Queen since he couldn't be here in person. I thought you could answer them while we make our way to the cockpit."

Lorena sighs, her past as Queen isn't something she likes to discuss, but it's Billy who wants to know about the subject and she would die for him along with her whole team. "Yeah sure, go ahead and give me the questions." She says gruffly, trying not to allow her emotions to surface while walking forward towards her mission.

Zack pulls his phone out and scrolls through the text Billy sent. "What was it like being the Queen of Atlantis, and why did you and Hunter abdicate the throne?"

"We abdicated because being royalty was fun for five minutes, then you have forgo comfort and actually do the job that comes with the crown. Some of job aspects are fun, like the ceremonies and dances, but some aspects were soul crushing, like dulling out punishment for crimes or sending an army of mostly innocents to fight a war in your name. In the end, Hunter and I couldn't hold the crown's metaphorical weight, so we decided as a couple to leave that life behind for a peacefully life instead, and I haven't looked back until today. Next question, please."

"Did you ever think going back to the throne, or just Atlantis in general before today?"

"I honestly missed Atlantis more than I missed being its Queen, that being said, I could never put the crown on again because that part of my life is over and I love the new, relatively peaceful life I have now. But I'd be lying if I didn't want to bring Tomi down here once she learns to swim, I want her to know both sides of where she comes from and not just the Amazonian godhood that comes from Hunter. I hope that doesn't make me sound selfish."

"Not at all, you just want Tomi to become a demigod Aquababy." Zack jokes before he and Lorena share a laugh as they picture little Tomi wearing the Wonder Woman headband with a baby size trident in her hand as she rules the seven seas behind her with a gleeful smile on her face. "Okay, next question. Even though you're time was brief, did you learn anything from being Queen?"

"I did." Lorena confirms, taking a deep breath in and out as she begins speaking with mixed tone of vulnerability and experience. "I was taught to be Queen by Arthur and Mera, and they taught me to put others before myself and that's what I remember everyday when I'm a member of this Ranger Team. Sometimes to be a good Queen or leader, it means making the impossibly difficult choice so people that you care about don't have to."

"What's the deal with the black and gold tattoo on your inner forearm? I've seen you sporting that ink for as long as we've known each other and I didn't pay much attention to it until I saw that Murk has the exact same tattoo you do. How did you get it? How did Murk get his, how much do you know about him?" Zack asks Lorena frantically as they turn the corner and see the main automatic sliding door leading to the cockpit.

"My black and gold letter A tattoo means I'm a captain in Atlantean Honor Guard, we are elite warriors sworn to protect the King and Queen, and I joined the Guard to protect Arthur and Mera as my adoptive parents. When training cadets turn 14, they participate in a contest of skill and combat to become full members wearing silver and black tattoos while the best of the best cadets fight each other for the position of captain."

"I bested my other classmates in combat when I came of age, receiving my black and gold as a result. From that day, I succeeded Murk as captain." Lorena notices Zack's tone and she realizes that he isn't asking Billy's questions anymore, but his own. So, she sits down on the floor mere meters away from their goal of booting up the Zord and allows her helmet to fade, looking at him like a protective older sister. "Zack, before we go inside there and take the Zord out of Atlantis, do you have any questions about Murk?"

"Is Murk my father?" Zack asks quickly, despite how he struggled to get the words out while he helmet fades too and Lorena can see tears streaming his cheeks. "I don't have any concreate memories of my father before he left me and my mom shortly after I was born. When my mom started to feel unwell, she often spoke of a man who walked out of the sea and I thought she was seeing visions as another symptom of her sickness, but it turns out she was telling the truth, so am I an Atlantean like you?"

"Come here." Lorena holds her arms out for a hug and Zack is quick to fall into them, closely comforting the young man as he falls apart. "What I can gather about Murk's past from my doppelganger's memories is he took a year off from the Guard and decided to explore the surface world personally, specifically China where he met and fell in love with a woman, later they had a child together who they loved very much, but it wasn't long before he had to return to his duties in Atlantis."

"I'm sorry, Zack. I honestly didn't realize he is your father until I saw you two side by side, do you want to meet him personally? I can set it up before we leave." Lorena asks the question already knowing the answer.

"No, fuck him, he doesn't know me and I have too much in my life right now to get to know him, I'm just excited to learn if I can do all the aqua stuff that you can do, like talk to fish. Now, up and at 'em, we have a mission to complete before we can go home." Zack is able to hide his anger well he helps Lorena up.

Lorena shoots him a killer glare, blocking him from taking a step when she points the trident at his chest. "I don't talk to fish, the water does the talking and it's more a helpful suggestion that the fish can't refuse because their minds are so tiny, it also helps to speak with them if you have Neptune's Trident, like I do. You'll see the sharp end of it if you keep making fish jokes, understand?"

Zack nods profusely, and Lorena puts her trident away with a smile. "Good, let's go wake this dragon."

The Dragonzord's cabin is much larger then the Rangers' Zord cabin, able to hold small number of people while the Green Ranger pilots the mech from a chair placed in the center of a curved dashboard deocrated with strange alien writing. As soon as Lorena sits down, a plug comes out from behind and connects with her armor to force her into the chair more securely before the Dragon Dagger flies from it's holster into a dagger shaped keyhole, activating the Zord's full power.

"Whoa, this might be the most insane thing I've ever done." Lorena can't help it when a childlike smile comes across her face as two joysticks fly into her hands and the dashboard lights up with green holograms, giving her full control over the Dragonzord beast. "Okay, I don't see an instruction manual anywhere, so how do you pilot this thing?"

Zack chuckles, remembering how he asked himself the same question when he first entered his Zord and nearly hit those nuns on the road. "Um, how did Zordon describe this? Close your eyes and grip the controls tightly, think of the Zord as an extension of your Rangers Armor, then the two of you will become one. From there, the Zord will guide towards you what to do, but it's up to you to act on instincts."

Lorena closes her eyes, breathing deeply while her hands move over the controls and holograms, feeling everything the Zord has to offer her. After a moment of silence, she reopens her eyes powerfully with the knowledge of what to do next as she presses the biggest button in the dashboard's center that actives a flamethrower shooting outward from the Dragonzord's mouth.

"Oh, my god. That's so awesome!" Zack and Lorena share a high five brought on by the adrenaline of the moment as the flames dissipate before she goes back to studying the controls in case they need to make a quick exit from Atlantis and Zack calls the girls on comms. "Trini or Kim, come in. Lorena has the Dragonzord running and we're ready to go whenever you are."

The only response he receives is the sound of Trini and Kimberly yelling explicit threats, followed by gunfire and explosions in the background. He knows something bad is happening, but doesn't exactly know what it is until he looks out the Zord's windshield to see people carrying torches and burning anything in sight as they chant about change to come with a revolution, "Greenie, did we burn Atlantis with that flamethrower? 'Cause it's burning now."

"Oh, boy. Stay here where it's safe and keep the Zord running, I'm going to get them back." Lorena stares at the carnage in a place that used to be her home, and she knows that Trini and Kimberly are somehow in the center of it all. So, she springs from her chair and heads toward the exit with steps of unstoppable determination, leaving the Dragon Dagger behind.

"Hey, don't you need this dagger back?" Zack asks, calling back to her before she leaves.

Lorena brandishes her trident with a smile and wink over her shoulder as she walks out "This is all I'm gonna need."

She isn't sure if it's the tiredness or anger over this mission, but Lorena is quickly able to run towards the palace despite the mass of people running in the opposite direction as an obstacle. She grabs a glass lantern before entering the throne room where she smashes it on the ground to burn, drawing the attention of Trini, Kimberly, and Murk as they fight a deadly battle against Rath. "What the hell is going on?"

"I may have accidently started a revolution, my bad." Trini offers in defense, then returns to the fight.

"How do you accidently start a revo- you know what? It doesn't matter, Viva La Revolución. Just move out of my way." Lorena says, mirroring Trini's words that were also used during the Cuban Revolution. Lorena is so tired of this mission and the feeling is clear in her eyes as she charges towards Rath to stop him by any means necessary.

Lorena remains calm while she uses the trident in a precise rage because she isn't taking any prisoners this time, especially against someone who destroyed her home, forced her people to live on the streets while he lives in luxury, and took her away from Tomi. So, she digs deep into her Green Power Coin for someone who is always been there, and lets Rita have full control.

Her brown eyes turn green with evil and her helmet forms, absolutely terrifying Rath and everyone else around them as Lorena's movements become unpredictably scary like a slimly snake to stab his arms before he has a chance to block, then his legs and kneecaps, each strike she gives her tool of an opponent is designed to draw a small amount of blood until Rath is forced to kneel.

"Who are you?" He asks with labored, uneven breaths while Lorena's trident is at his throat.

"I am your true Queen!" Rita says menacingly, speaking through Lorena before her fades and her return to their natural brown, becoming her once more. "As your Queen, I order you to turn yourself into Captain Murk and face the judgment of the people you were supposed to serve." Lorena sighs, placing the trident in the harness on her back, then looks at Murk. "Are we done?"

He nods, trying to catch Rath before it's too late and he stumbles over to the throne to speak on the intercom. "If I'm going to loose, then I'm going to say this before I go. On my orders only, release the giant kraken!"

"I'm sorry, did you say giant kraken? They  have krakens down here?" Kimberly asks, afraid of what's coming next as the ground begins to quake uncontrollably beneath the Rangers' feet, leading Lorena to rush everyone expect Rath out of the room as fast she can.

"Just Run!"

From the Dragonzord's cockpit, Zack sees the Rangers and Murk running for their lives toward him, followed by this absolutely gigantic and monstrous octopus-crab creature in hot pursuit after decimating the Atlantean Royal Palace with its body. He can feel the Zord power up when it senses Lorena in danger nearby, and he sprints down to the onboard ramp to greet them "Why is there a monster chasing us?"

"Lots can happen in five minutes, Zack." Lorena rushes past him to the controls with Kimberly and Trini behind her before Murk shoves a rifle in Zack's arms. 

"You better know how to shoot, son." Murk is already beginning to shoot at the kraken to ward it off, so he doesn't see the shock on Zack's face when he is called son. They shoot at the monster long enough for Lorena to break through Atlantis's dome to try putting some distance between the Dragonzord and the kraken. The force of breaking through the dome causes Zack to loose his balance and fly right into one of the kraken's tentacles where the monster bangs him against the hard metal Zord until his helmet's visor shatters before he is carelessly left to die when the monster returns its focus to the other Rangers.

Murk wants to reach out for the boy, but he must focus on stopping the monster if everyone else wants to live,"Lorena, do you see Zack out there with his visor shattered? I think he's drowning." 

"No, he's not. Trini, please take over for a second." Lorena stands from her pilot's chair and goes towards the exit as Trini sits down in her place. Lorena grabs her trident and breaks it into two haves connected by a very long chain, she wraps the chain around herself before handing one half to Murk, then dives out the back to save Zack. She swiftly swims in between each of the kraken's massive attacks with ease because the ocean is like a second home to her. 

She finally reaches Zack as he floats unconscious far away the Zord, giving Murk a nod to pull them back seconds before a tentacle would've crushed them completely. Once they're back inside Lorena lays Zack on the floor and begins preforming CPR on him, hoping that she hasn't lost a friend. "Come on, kid, wake up and we'll celebrate my birthday when we get home."

She does chest compressions and sucks the air from his lungs a few more times before he coughs up water and gives her a weak smile in the classic Zack way. "I have a new understanding Billy's fear of water. Now, what's this I hear about a party?"

Lorena chuckles thankfully, hugging him closely placing a hand on Zack to help him sit up. "We'll celebrate my birthday when we get back to Angel Grove, I promise. How are you feeling?"

"I feel strangely fine, like I could breathe under water by pulling the air molecules in the water itself and I felt at home in water and could last without my helmet for hours until the kraken knocked me out with it's tentacles. I guess It's confirmed now, I'm a true Atlantean like you, high five." They share another high five, then Zack glares at the kraken before the Zord's ramp shuts tight. "Personal revaluations aside, do you have a plan for the kraken?"

"If I'm being honest with you, maybe." Lorena responds truthfully as hey help each stand and rush back to the cockpit before Trini gives the pilot's chair willingly, preferring her faster and more manurable Saber-Tooth Tiger Zord above anything else. When her hands grasp the controls again, Lorena hits the accelerator as fast it will go, leaving the kraken behind in the race to the surface world. "Let's see what this baby can really do!"  

* * *

"Listen up, everyone. The most important part to achieve any victory is to adapt to seemingly impossible odds and still come out on top, so we are going to demonstrate that by running drills. Who wants to go first?" Jason paces back and forth in Diana's backyard with a football under his arm as he addresses Adrian, Paige, and Tomi, who slumps backwards in the grass with sleepy indifference, leading Jason to help her sit back up as Adrian raises his hand.

"I'm hungry, can we go inside for lunch now? Diana is baking dino nuggets." He says and Paige eagerly nods in agreement.

Jason sighs, hanging his head when no one is listening to him. "We'll go inside once Diana calls us for lunch, until then I thought it'd be fun if I showed some tips and tricks from my football days. Who's up first?" He repeats and Paige bonces up, standing behind Jason as he squats down and places  the ball between his legs. "Now, I'm gonna give you the ball soon and what you wanna do is run the ball down to Billy at the other end of the yard while I stand in your way, avoid me at all cost."

A fire of determination lights within Paige once the ball launches into her arms and she take off towards Billy at top speed, narrowly avoiding Jason with a twirling move because nothing is going to stand in the way of her goal until Diana comes out with an announcement while watching the children play. "It's time to come inside, lunch is ready."

Suddenly, Paige changes direction dramatically when she mere meters away from Billy and instead of completing the play, she makes a sharp turn towards Diana, running past her and going inside with the ball still in her hands, leaving Jason stunned to what just happened as goes Adrian inside. Billy scoops up Tomi, then places a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Admit it, her footwork was impressive and that misdirection was classic Zack."

"She's got a future in athletics if she wants to take it." Jason says as they go inside and sit at the kitchen counter where Diana has made grilled cheese sandwiches for them as well. "Thank you, Diana. Any word from the others?"

Diana nods, taking Tomi from Billy and feeding her baby food in a highchair. "Lorena texted me when they splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean. Everything has been radio silent since then, I expect it to continue until they find the Dragonzord and return to the surface. Which worries me because Atlantis should be burned to the ground after what it has done to Hunter and Lorena, and I am scared to wonder what more could that place take from my children."

"I love Hunter, Lorena, and Tomi for their Atlantean heritage, but Atlantis itself has only me and my family trouble." As soon as the words leave Diana's mouth, the house begins to rattle violently and Diana instinctively grabs everyone in the house to hold them closely under the dining table for cover from the falling pictures, her hold tightens on them with each second that passes until the they hear a screeching roar as the quake ends slowly, leaving debris in its wake while the house still stands.

"Is everyone okay?" Billy asks, coming out from the under table once things have settled and helping everyone stand up. "The was a strange quake, I wasn't expecting a quake to be this strong in northern California, especially in Angel Grove."

"I don't believe that was a normal earthquake, earthquakes don't roar. I think we need to prepare for an attack." Diana walks in the minor destruction of her house and turns on the TV, where she and the Rangers see grainy news footage of a giant dragon mech fighting an equally giant kraken monster in Angel Grove Harbor, 

"Go, we'll watch the kids." Jason takes Tomi into his arms and gathers the children together to watch TV with Billy, allowing Diana a chance to go into her room for her armor.

"Thank you, boys. I owe you." She comes out  moments later wearing all of her Wonder Woman gear as she leaves the house and jumps towards the epicenter of the attack she knows very little about, she just able to get a better look at the Dragonzord when moving closer the destruction. Diana touches down her sword because fighting mythical beast like this is exactly her forte.

"Give me something to work with here, please!" Lorena screams at the dashboard inside the Dragonzord as she punches the kraken away only for a second before their opponent retaliates by shoulder checking the Zord backwards in the water. Lorena grunts as she and the Rangers hang on, she is quickly running out of peaceful ways to take the kraken without hurting the town or the creature itself because it's still an animal, just one that's been forced to fight in chains.

The Kraken raises its fists, ready to crush the Zord in the water until Diana gives it a punch in the face, causing it to stagger back and allowing the Zord a chance to stand before she lands on the windshield in front of the Rangers. "Are you all okay, how did this happen?"

"Oh my god, mom. So much has happened!" Trini exclaims, high on excitement and adrenaline. "You're gonna be so proud of me, I started a revolution to free the oppressed people Atlantis against a douchebag king while Lorena and Zack found the Dragonzord and Billy's gonna be thrilled to learn this thing breaths fire!"

"I am proud of you, Trini and I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip." Diana's heart swells pride after hearing of Trini's exploits because that's exactly what she would've done in her position, Trini definitely has her Amazonian sprit. "Does anyone have a plan for dealing this creature?"

Lorena stands from the pilot's chair and gives it to Kimberly before walking towards the exit to meet Diana outside. "Kim, your the team's best shot, so I want you to use the cannons the shoot the creature free of  chains when I'm on the ground, then pray the rest of my plan works."

Once Lorena is street level with Diana, they collide in a friendly and, Diana holds her close in relief of all the Rangers being okay. "Jason and Billy are watching the children at home. Now, what do you need from me?"

"I need you to get me to between the Zord and kraken once Kim shoots the chains off." Lorena unmorphs and pulls the trident from its harness as Kimberly shoots the kraken's chains off from the Dragonzord with precision, causing the monster to go berserk while Diana jumps Lorena up so they are looking at the creature directly when they land on Dragonzord's arm. Lorena closes her eyes and places a hand on the kraken's forehead, listening to the poor monster's woes.

"Uh-huh, well, that bastard who hurt you is dead, crushed by debris when you broke out. No B.L, these people won't hurt if you leave in peace please. You have my word, I won't let these people hurt you, you're safe to live freely now." Lorena kisses the kraken between the eyes, then commands it with her trident to enter the sea peacefully, disappearing instantly.

Speaking to a creature of that size and magnitude has Lorena feeling drained and Diana is right behind to catch her when she falls back. Diana is greatly surprised by Lorena's albites because she heard of a such a power from Arthur, but she hasn't seen it up close. "Impressive, what did you say to the creature so it would return to the sea without conflict?"

"I got to know her, she was scared of being hurt because Rath had tortured her mercilessly and she thought we were going to hurt her too. So, I calmed her down and convinced her to go peacefully with the knowledge that no one would hurt her ever again, not on my watch. Her name is Bad Linda by the way."

* * *

The trailer park isn't home to many in Angel Grove, but it's home to Zack Taylor and it's what he needs right now after he parks his motorcycle near his trailer to go inside alone. After learning about his true parentage and fighting a literal kraken, he left Paige with Diana for the night so he can have time to decompress. He is left in a pitch black trailer upon locking the door and he doesn't bother to turn on the lights when sleep is his main goal right now, only for an obstacle to present itself in the form of Amanda Clarke sitting on his bed in wait.

"Oh geez, Mandy. How'd you get in?" Zack turns on a light and looks at her with tired indifference, even though his heart at war between love and hate for his old flame.

"You never changed the locks and I still have the key you gave me during our hook ups, which you probably want back now." Amanda digs in her pocket, retrieving a simple key and plops it on the table between them. "The easy answer is, I keep seeing you on the news with the other Power Rangers and I wanted you to see again, don't freak out, I know you're a Ranger because you talk in your sleep. The hard answer is, I wanted you to see again... with Paige."

"Not gonna happen. Ever. Now move." Zack shuffles over to the bed, sits down and removes his shoes before laying back fully, hoping to get some sleep while Amanda remains close, looking down at him. "I'm her dad, I've been with  her since day one and you're kidding yourself if you think about disrupting the good relationship we've got going."

"I don't want to, I just want see her since I am her moth-"

"You're not her mother!" Zack snaps, sitting up and getting in her face so they're only inches apart. "You stopped being her mother the moment you gave her up to me on the day she born. I fed her, changed her diapers, sent her off to her first day of pre-school. I was always there to make her happy and safe. Right now, she is a friend's house who actually want her company, where were you?"

"I deserve that, I was a total bitch during high school and hook ups, and I know this won't mean much now, but I am doing better than I was three years ago. I'm going to beauty school in Stone Canyon and I'm hoping you can see that I'm trying to be a better person who still loves you."

Amanda suddenly leans in to kiss Zack slowly, allowing him a chance to pull away that he doesn't take until a few seconds pass, by then Zack knows it's too late and he's hooked on the same schoolboy crush he was years ago. "I love you too, but you should go, I need some sleep." 

He lays back down as Amanda goes towards the door, leaving a piece of paper behind. "This has my address on it, I'm staying at a hotel in town if you want to talk. I'm sorry for everything I did to you and I hope you can forgive me."

She leaves, shutting the door with a hard slam and causing the paper to fall within Zack's reach and he can't help but pick it up for examination, seeing how the note is addressed to him with her intoxicating lipstick before he throws across the room in the hopes of never seeing it again as he greets anosmia as an old friend.

The next day Zack arrives to training late and very sleep deprived, wishing nobody would talk to him until Billy places a hand on his shoulder. "Late night?"

"No, just one I'd rather forget." Zack gives him a brief, friendly smile before they walk together to meet the others in the Morphing Gird room waiting to meet with Zordon and Alpha. "So, we got the Dragonzord back yesterday with very little fuss, mind telling us what it has to do with who sent the Psycho Rangers after us?"

"Yes, after much thought, Alpha and I believe the Zord is vital in the fight against a coming enemy who was a Lord in the royal family on my home planet of Eltar. Someone who loved Rita and seduced her into using our Zeo Crystal for evil. A man by the name Lord Zedd." Zordon and Lorena say at the same as she knows the man he is speaking of from their private talk seven years ago.

"You know who this guy is and you didn't tell the rest of us?" Jason asks in shock that his co-leader kept a secret this big and important from everyone when they're supposed to be a team.

"I only know he's a bad guy." Lorena says quickly to defend herself. "I came here during the night when my Nana died, I was sad and looking for something to punch after I let Rita take control, then I asked him about Rita's past with his original Ranger Team and he told me about Zedd. You can be mad at me later, now we just need to know how to stop him before he gets to the Crystal."

"You can't." Zordon hangs his head in shame, his voice heavy with guilt and fear. "I am sorry, Rangers, but Lord Zedd destroyed my home and other planets holding Zeo Crystals in a ultimate quest for power and this team is too untrained to beat him, we can only pray for our lives."

* * *

Somewhere in the far reaches of outer space, Psycho Green walks like a solider in a dark, ominous room before keeling to show respect to the person on the throne in front of him due to a deep seeded fear. "Sir, the Power Rangers have acted as you predicated and retrieved the Dragonzord from Atlantis, activating the homing beacon. How do you wish to proceed?"

The man speaks like the devil through the oxygen mask covering the entirety of his mangled face. "Is the Pink Psycho Ranger still hidden among the people on this primitive planet earth?"

"Yes sir, she is."

"Good. Inform Finster and Brainiac of the next advancement to the plan, and prepare the army for the coming invasion of earth. This time, not even Zordon or his pitiful team of Rangers will be able to stop me from reuniting with my beloved wife and ripping the Zeo Crystal from his backwater planet. He will just watch in horror as he allows another world to burn!"

"Yes, Lord Zedd."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Rangers' costumes mentioned at the beginning was a callback to the costumes worn by the Rangers in the MMPR episode LIfe's a Masquerade, except for Trini's costume because it didn't feel right nowadays, so I just put her a couple's costume with Kimberly.
> 
> So, I'm thinking of aging Tomi up to a teenager either in the next chapter or a future chapter via a time skip while Zedd makes his to earth, what do you guys think? I only ask because Hunter's childhood was a popular aspect in the pervious story and I'm just wondering if you feel the same way about Tomi.
> 
> Lord Zedd is coming to destroy everything and our heroes will have to pull out all the stops to defeat him, including relaying on an old enemy of sorts, but that's a surprise to come.


	4. Before The Storm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During Lorena's birthday celebrations, domes fall on all of the world's major cites. Now, Diana and the Rangers must put their personal feelings aside and come together even when separated to save the world from an unimaginably dangerous threat, but at what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I thought about ending this story at chapter 6 until I took a few weeks to think of more ideas in regards to future ideas of this story while I was in the hospital, so I'm extending the story without a clear end yet. That being said, I will take a break from writing stories involving the Wonder Woman and Power Rangers fandom with the possibility of aging Tomi up to a teenager in a future chapter. I just need to write something different to cleanse my creative palet.
> 
> This chapter is kind of going to be my take on my the Justice League/MMPR comic book crossover and if you've read it, then you may know where I'm going, but hopefully I can surpirse you with some twists I have in store and please read the end notes to learn where I will go with the chapter ending twist.

* * *

Every warrior decompresses from an intense battle in their own separate ways, some may choose to simply sleep it off, or drink their nightmares away, or practice for the next battle until the adrenaline leaves their system. For a warrior like Lorena, she likes to spend a sunny morning at Angel Grove Park watching Tomi frolic in the playground sandbox while she grades her student's latest tests.

She finishes grading the last test and packs her things away in her briefcase, then glances up with a bright smile to see Tomi crawling toward her away from another little baby girl who is still playing in the sandbox, her mouth is agape with a wide smile as Lorena picks her up matching her expression. "Hey, Little Green Bean! Did you have fun making sandcastles in the park today? Shall we go home and ask why everyone kicked us out of my house for the day? I have my theories, what about you?"

Tomi babbles in response as Lorena shoulders her briefcase ready to leave for the Firebird until someone softly calls out to her from behind. "Excuse me, miss? I want to speak with you about your child, please."

Lorena turns around ready to defend herself or her equally outspoken daughter against another snooty parent who believes Tomi to be a troublemaker, only to see a woman around her age with lush light blonde hair, a fair skin tone, friendly green eyes, holding the baby girl from earlier "Hi, I didn't mean to bother you, but my name is Danise. My daughter Kathrine and I just moved here from Australia and I was wondering if you and your daughter wanted to come over to my house for a playdate soon since they seem to be quite a pair together?"

The request comes as a shock to Lorena, Tomi has had playdates with other children before, but none of the relationships stuck in the way Lorena had hoped and she wasn't sure if Tomi was ever going to make friends outside of the Rangers or Diana at this early age so she couldn't be more thrilled at this development in her life, she quickly grabs a pen and paper to write down her information while speaking with excitement. "Of course, I'd love to. My daughter's name is Tomiko, but everyone calls her Tomi, my name is Lorena Prince. It's very nice to meet you both and I hope you have a nice day."

She hands her the paper, then heads to the car with a wave and buckles Tomi into her car seat before they listen to the pop tunes coming through the radio during the drive home with much pep in her step because her daughter made her first friend. Lorena honestly doesn't care what happens for the rest of the day because her daughter made a friend.

Lorena wasn't expecting much when Diana and the rest of her team decided to celebrate her birthday days after returning from Atlantis. Her birthday passed without any ceremony and that's how she wanted it to be. So she sure as hell wasn't expecting to be ambushed by her loved ones, but that's what she and Tomi received upon entering Diana's totally darkened house seconds before the lights snap on and nearly everyone she cares about jumping out from behind the couch.

"Surprise!" Everyone announces with enthusiasm, even Tomi can be heard trying to mumble the words with baby speak.

"Oh, my god! Thank you guys so much, I wasn't expecting this at all." Lorena thanks her family from the heart even though they are really terrible secret keepers and have terrible poker faces. Her eyes scan the people as Diana records the fake surprise on her face, Jason shoots her a death glare in the background, and Zack is nowhere to be seen. "I'm assuming Zack got to you all?"

"He may have mentioned something, but this was mostly mom and I's doing." Trini says, going over to the fridge where she pulls out a large vanilla cake with purple frosting and a small frosting pen on the side. "And we all know how you feel about your birthday, so this cake can say whatever you like."

After a moment of thought, Lorena hands Tomi to Trini and takes the frosting pen in return, standing over the cake so no one sees what she is writing until revealing it with a smile of cleverness on her face.  **Remember, remember the 5th of November!**

Diana snickers, putting away her phone in favor of cutting the cake for herself and the kids. "There'll be time to open your gifts later tonight and I have one for you that I believe you'll enjoy after our discussion the other night, but I thought we'd have lunch and cake first before going into town for an activity and since it's your day, you get to choose what to do."

Lorena must still have Amnesty Bay and Atlantis on her mind because the first thing she thinks of is the water and something she loved doing with Arthur and Mera, something she can't wait to share with the others. "Grab your boardshorts and beachwear, 'cause we're going surfing to boost team morale, if that's okay with everyone?" She asks, her gaze fixed on Billy. "You can stay on the beach, you don't have to go in the water if you don't want to."

Billy responds to the gesture with a small smile. "No, I want to. After missing out on Atlantis, I think I'm ready to get back in the water because your pictures of the city weren't enough to get the full experience and I've always want to learn how to surf, will you teach me?"

"Yes, I'll teach just as Mera and Arthur taught me. Let's have some food first." Lorena smiles at him as Diana passes out slices of cake and Jason fades further into the background unnoticed. Once lunch has been eaten, The Rangers all get dressed in spare swimwear while Diana packs a cooler full of snacks and drinks and places it in the fridge next to a stack of covered dishes for Zack after he hasn't been seen the past few days.

Now Lorena sits down with a wet wash cloth to clean her daughter after taking a picture of how Tomi smeared more cake on her face and hands than actually ended up in her mouth. "Well, I should've expected this, you are a baby after all, and your father was a messy eater as a kid. Still, I hope you enjoyed the cake, Little Bean."

She is halfway through the task when she spots Jason sitting isolated on Diana's backyard, and she knows she must try burying the hatch between them after his trust in her was waned with the news of Zedd. So, she grabs another piece of cake and heads outside in the hope of rebuilding bridges. "Kim, can you take over for me, please?"

"O' fearless leader? There's extra cake and I was wondering if you wanted it?" She asks, approaching him carefully, he shoots another glare while swiping the cake and allows her to sit down as well. "I know you want an explanation of how I knew before the rest of you, but I said all I could back at the Ship, now I'm here to say sorry, and you better talk to me before I pull the 'it's my birthday' card.

That comment causes a tiny smile to form on Jason's face, but it disappears just as fast and he returns to brooding. "There's a lot we doesn't know about your past, Lorena, and it's up to you if you ever want us to tell us anything, but if we're supposed to be a team, then why didn't you tell us about Zedd sooner? Did you keep it from us intentionally?"

"No." Lorena answers immediately. "I've always been completely honest with every member of the team and that won't ever stop. I never meant to keep this from you, I came to Zordon alone because I was still new to being a Ranger and I wanted to know more about Rita since we share headspace together and he also told me about Zedd. I didn't think anything of it until a few days ago, but I never wanted to harm the team. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Both Jason and Lorena remain very standoffish, refusing to look the other person in favor of seeming badass. The silence carries for a good minute until Jason surges forward to hug Lorena tightly. "Happy birthday. It's your choice, but the team will be there for you if you ever want to tell us about your past."

"Yeah, maybe one day I'll gather the team and we'll all have a cry session over how I keep loosing everyone I care about." Lorena says cheerfully once they separate, her tone does well to hide the immense pain behind her words. "Speaking of the team, where's Zack? It isn't like him to miss any sort of party."

* * *

"Zackary Taylor! You best open the door right now before this food gets cold!" Kimberly demands, pounding on the door to Zack's trailer with her foot. She is about to knock again when Zack opens the door suddenly, appearing before her with bloodshot eyes and clothes smelling of cheap whisky while her expression of concern is obstructed by the mountainous stack of covered food dishes in her arms.

"What's all this?" Zack asks, stepping aside and allowing Kimberly to enter before shutting the door so the outside light doesn't hurt his eyes.

"We haven't heard from you in days and Diana is concerned that you're not eating, so she made enough food to feed a small army, she's truly Wonder Mom to us all. There's also birthday cake from Lorena's party and some of my grandma's Khichdi recipe, which is delicious and always cheers me up." Kimberly places the food in his fridge with a huff of effort, then blows a loose strand of hair from her face to address Zack. "Where have you been? We're all worried about you, especially Paige."

"I'm fine, just been here drinking alone. Care to join me?" Kimberly shakes her head, and Zack polishes off another bottle of whisky, then throws it in the trash with perfect aim using his Ranger abilities. "How's Paige doing at your and Trini's place?"

"She's been a saint with us, but she misses you dearly." Kimberly steps forward with hesitance when observing Zack's expression that she's only seen after his mother passed away. "Is this sudden behavior about Murk turning out to be your Atlantean father? Before you ask, Lorena didn't tell me, I saw you both side by side and it wasn't hard to put things together. I even called him by your name once."

"A little bit." Zack admits, taking a deep breath. "I practiced our meeting half a dozen times, how I would gloriously tell him off for leaving my mom and I, but I was face to face with him and I froze. Looking back, I was angry with him, but I just wanted to know why more than anything else. 'why did you leave us? Why weren't we enough of a reason to make you stay?' I realized the more questions I would ask, the more I wouldn't like the answers because they would reflect on my relationship with Amanda."

Kimberly swiftly takes his hand as a comfort when seeing the deep anguish on his face. "Hey! Don't think like that, you're a way better parent to Paige then they will ever be, understand?"

"What if I gave Amanda another chance with Paige and I?" Zack asks, afraid of the thought of letting his daughter be close to a monster, afraid of being so hurt again. He watches as Kimberly's jaw tightens in anger, which is understandable with their toxic relationship left behind from Kimberly's cheerleading days. "What if she was here to see me three days ago?"

Despite her anger, Kimberly is able to relax her flaring nostrils and unclench her fist to address Zack with some sense. "How did she seem? What did she want from you?"

"She wanted to get back together, I told her to get lost instead, then we kinda kissed and I didn't immediately pull away. She finally left her address behind when she walked out, which I promptly threw away because I want nothing to do with her, right? This may be sounds crazy, but the spark was still there and I'm worried if I let her in again and she hurts me, she'll hurt Paige too. If you have any answer, then please tell me because I'm at a loss." Zack says, on the verge of having an emotional break down, almost begging for guidance.

In truth, Kimberly doesn't have an answer, at least not a quick or easy one, all she can do is grab Zack's phone on the table and give it to him insistently. "Look Zack, if she says she's a better person now and you feel like your relationship with her can be rekindled, then I say call her because we both know you never deleted her number and give it a shot, just do it on your own terms and don't introduce her to Paige until you feel she won't break your hearts."

"Maybe invite her to Amber Beach today because that's what Lorena wants to do in order to boost team morale after Atlantis, so let a cold shower sober you up, then shave and grab your surfboard, we're leaving in twenty minutes." Kimberly playfully slaps his cheek, which he allows when the hit works to help him towards sobriety. She stands up to wait outside while Zack scrolls through his phone for Amanda's contact, then he reaches out for Kimberly's hand to stop her before she can leave.

"Please, stay, Kim. I don't have the courage to call her completely alone, and we know her best." The vulnerability in Zack's voice is clear and Kimberly nods, sitting back down and leaning close to the phone so she can try hearing what Amanda is saying on the other line, to no avail.

"Hey Mandy, I'm going to Amber Beach with Paige and my friends, I actually called to ask if you wanted to come along...  My friends, the same ones I've known since high school, including Kimberly and Trini... Yes, you have to be nice to them. In order for me to even think about about beginning a new relationship with you, don't introduce yourself to Paige as her mother, just as a friend till I'm ready to introduce you properly. Those are my nonnegotiable terms because my daughter is the most important person in my life right now, understand?"

The room is completely silent as Zack hangs up with a heavy sigh, feeling like he made a big mistake. "She said yes to all my terms and she's gonna meet us at the beach in thirty minutes, so I should change now." Kimberly takes the hint to leave for the door while Zack remains sitting where he is, his mind still deep thought until he calls her back. "Do believe that Amanda has changed, or do you think she's still the Queen-bee bitch we once knew in high school and college?"

"Nobody's the same bitch they were in high school, we're all different bitches now." Kimberly jokes, causing the tiniest of smirks to land on Zack's lips. "Just give her a shot and I'll do the same because I care about your happiness with her, you should too because you're a good person."

* * *

"That part goes there and that one goes there, oh, and I can't forget to make sure that part works otherwise the car won't run and that would be very bad." There is only one fellow Ranger Lorena trusts to work the Firebird with her and that's Billy without question because he won't stop working on the car until repairs are done and he usually vocalizes a checklist, which keeps Lorena on track of what still needs to be done.

"I don't mean to interrupt your process, but I just wanted to say thanks for helping me check on the car after I got it back from the airport" Lorena gives a thankful smile and wipes sweat from her brow then returns her focus to the engine to do the final checks.

"Of course, I love tinkering and it's the least I could after you answered my questions about Atlantis, but I have two more. Trini said you took the Throne of Atlantis back and became Queen again, do you get to keep the trident, and what does that mean for the team if you're under the sea with regal duties?"

"Nothing's gonna change with the team." Lorena says quickly to reassure Billy in case he was worried. "Yes, I took my title as Queen back, along with the Royal Trident of Neptune, but I have Murk acting as regent with Atlantis' best interest at heart and I trust him to do the right thing in my place, meaning I can stay up here. I have a question because it looks like we're done the car on my end, how about yours?"

Billy nods, shutting the hood before they get in the car already in their swimwear to catch up with the rest of the Rangers, Tomi, and Diana, who all have a head start to the beach. Lorena turns over the car engine that purrs like a dream and the two Rangers share a smile of accomplishment as she drives down the street. "Billy, please text the others, I'm a little fuzzy on where this place actually is."

He reaches in the backseat for Lorena's humongous beach bag of stuff to grab a paper map after reading Diana's text, taking a moment to study the map only to end up more confused. "Diana says the beach is at the very edge of town between Angel Grove and Stone Canyon and it's pretty hard to find because it's not on GPS because it's very small and private, but I bet we can do it."

If asked on any other day Lorena and Billy could say they know Angel Grove pretty well from being its protectors, today however, they can't find the local Amber Beach to save their lives, which leads them to arriving at the beach well after the others have. Lorena doesn't care for the formalities of how they arrived, she only cares about being with Tomi while Billy gathers his courage about going into the water.

Upon getting out of the car, Billy is almost clipped by another luxury car when it pulls alongside the Firebird as Lorena grabs her bag, she waits after locking the car to snap at the person who nearly hit her friend, only to see Amanda Clarke step out, which makes her anger grow ten fold after what she did to Zack and Paige. "What are you doing here Amanda?"

Amanda scoffs at Lorena's toughness, waving at Zack and he waves back. "Relax teach, this isn't high school anymore and I've changed. Zack thinks so, that's why he invited me here to patch things up just as I want."

Lorena smirks, getting into Amanda's face while her expression remains calm. "Fine, I'll buy that because I care about Zack more than I know you do, but if you hurt him, Paige, or any other of my friends, you'll answer to me. Now, please apologize to my friend for almost running him over."

"I'm sorry, see you around." Amanda says with genuine sincerity in her voice before turning around and walking towards Zack as he moves out of Paige's direct line of sign. She tries to kiss his cheek, but he moves away uncomfortably with a stern look. "Right, we're probably not there yet like we used to be, but you should speak to your friend with the purple hair, she just gave me the shovel talk."

"Lorena's just being protective, she's been like a mom friend to me." Zack is quick to defend Lorena before his eyes fall on his feet, trying to avoid a difficult conversation with Amanda and she does the same thing until he sneakily takes her hand down at their side, looking at her with the classic Zack smile. "I'm glad you're here."

Watching the chaos of Paige and Adrian bury Jason in the sand while Diana keeps insisting that everyone put on another layer of sunscreen makes Lorena want to join in her own way. So, she follows Kimberly and Trini's lead by putting sunglasses on, laying on a beach towel and placing a doozy Tomi on her exposed abs to have her baby close as they listen to soft orchestral music with earbuds shared between them while drifting off together.

Soon Lorena experiences a vivid, vision-like dream brought on by the music, seeing the silhouette of hawk flying near the sun above her, then the image of a cloaked man wandering through the dessert aimlessly. She doesn't have time finish the dream when she wakes with a jolt and the hawk transforms into Billy looking down at her. "I'm ready to try surfing... Are you okay?"

She nods, removing her sunglasses and carefully handing Tomi to Diana with a kiss on the forehead while she still sleeps, leaving an embarrassing baby size tan line on Lorena's stomach as she stands with her surfboard before giving her Coin to Billy. "Can you please keep this safe for me? My bikini doesn't have pockets."

"Sure... So, uh, how do we do this whole surfing thing safely, is there a instruction manual that shows you how not to drown?" Billy jokes to lessen his discomfort, pocketing Lorena's Coin in his swim trunks and trying not to be afraid as they walk towards the water's crashing waves until he stops short in fear with the water only lapping on his toes.

Lorena sees Billy's fear out of the corner of her eye as she uses her Aqua-Kinetic abilities and bends the water like Moses to give them a clear path so the water doesn't seem scary before she gives Billy a look saying she will be there for him and the rest the team if the world ended tomorrow while she extends a hand out. "Take my hand and I will keep you safe, you just have to trust me."

Billy takes her hand without hesitation, his grip tightening as they walk on the wet sand and further away from the others before he reaches out to skate his hand along the water wall. After five minutes to see how the water can't hurt him as it used to, Billy nods at Lorena and she releases the water gradually until the sea returns to normal, allowing them to float with their surfboards.

"You're doing very well so far, Billy. Before you can tackle the waves head on or even learn to paddle, you must learn how your board moves in the water. So, hop up and let the waves carry you" Lorena hops on her board and lays down vertically with Billy following her lead with great care his safety while their hands remain interlinked. "Good. Now we close our eyes and wait until the irresistible urge to try for a wave becomes unbearable."

The Blue Ranger does as he was told and closes his eyes for the next five minutes in the hopes of feeling the urge Lorena spoke about until he catches onto her true plan. "Lorena, are you doing a thing in movies where the mentor gives the student some vague lesson about feelings, but it's really an excuse for the mentor to nap?"

Lorena chuckles, making no excuse to dispute his claim as she lazily watches a hawk fly around. "Maybe. I will teach you later, but can you deny how nice this feels with sun on your skin and the waves rocking you back and forth like a baby? The ocean is the perfect place to nap, now close your eyes, the lesson isn't over yet."

She receives a shrug Billy because she is right, this moment felt tranquil, so he closes his eyes ready to continue the lesson. Their comfort only lasts a moment longer when they're alerted by a massive alien skull spaceship entering the atmosphere, followed by an equally large mirror-like dome falling over the entirety of Angel Grove, trapping everyone as Lorena and Billy swim towards the beach to reach them.

From the beach, the rest of the Rangers quickly morph and pull their weapons to try breaking the dome with everything they have while Diana tries as well using her god strength until her knuckles bleed, to no use, the dome remains intact without so much as a scratch or scuff mark and Trini holds onto Diana's arm like a frightened child faced with the unknown. "Mom, what's happening to us?"

"Some nonsense I won't allow to stand for much longer. Everyone, hang onto me, I believe we're going for a ride." Diana huddles the Rangers and children together in her arms as Billy and Lorena run up on the the other side of the dome, trying desperately to break through it until the dome knocks out its inhabitants with a sleep spell then disappears to the spaceship above in a flash of blinding light.

Lorena drops to her knees in tears over the fear of having her family ripped away again, vocalizing that fear by screaming into the massive, miles-spanning crater where Angel Grove once stood and forcing Billy to break his limited contact rule to hug her tightly as he tries comprehending something that is well beyond his significant understanding of science. "What just happened to our town and the people we love? Is there someway to fix this? Can you call the Justice League for help?"

"My phone was in my bag that got sucked into space, do you have still yours? I need to call someone." Lorena says while sniffing away her tears and trying to keep a clear head about things with the anger in her voice growing steadily. Billy digs in his pocket for his phone and the Green Power Coin, giving both to Lorena before she places a call to unknown ally.

"This is Justice League member: Aquqwoman, B-06... Hi Oracle, yes, it's really me, I'm assuming Diana told the League of how I'm from another earth... Great, we'll catch up later, but now I need you to fire the teleporter on my exact location for myself and a guest because something's happened to Angel Grove, it's not there anymore... Thank you, see you soon."

She hangs up and keeps a tight on Billy's hand when giving it back. "You'll want to hold onto me, teleportation can sometimes give you intense motion sickness, especially for first-timers." In response, Billy wraps his arms around her waist and closes his eyes when a bright light shines on them from above, only to unknowingly be transported to the Watchtower's main conference room until Lorena speaks up. "Billy you can open your eyes now, we're safe."

They are met by Bruce Wayne and Wally West, the latter of the two tries holding back laughter when seeing Lorena and Billy underdressed, which anoys Lorena more. "Please stop laughing, it was beach day. Can we get some clothes, please?" Lorena asks, and Wally dresses both of them in spare S.T.A.R labs shirts and sweatpants at superspeed, then she looks at Billy about to be sick any second and turns to Bruce. "Can you make sure Billy's alright? And please be nice or I'll call your father, I have his number!"

She goes to meet the with the rest of the League members who weren't caught under the domes without giving an explanation of she knows Thomas. She finds a spot to stand next to Victor Stone and her eyes are drawn a hologram of the globe with numerous dots showing different major cities effected by the domes, Angel Grove, Gotham City, and Metropolis among them. "Hey Victor, how are you? How many other Leaguers made it out?"

"Only a small number of us, but I'm glad you guys made it out, kid." He says as they share a deep friendly hug. "Barbara and I were already here with Bruce making repairs to the station, Connor and Rose were never trapped by the domes, I don't know what that says about their threat-level against these bad guys as street level heroes, Wally was able to outrun the dome before it fell, and Clark was in the middle of rescuing a sinking cruise ship of people over the South Pacific."

"It's good some of our friends made it here." Lorena is able to breathe a small sigh of relief, even if it's only momentarily. "Billy and I were surfing in the ocean between cities when the domes fell, we were the lucky ones when the domes fell, but Diana, my daughter, and the rest of my Ranger Team were taken. So, do we know where the domes came from?"  

"Brainiac sent them." Clark says solemnly, stepping forward. "At my Fortress of Solitude, my father once told of a being who came to Krypton from the stars with an invasion force to bottle and shrink the major cities for study. In the end, he only succeeded in bottling the capital city of Kandor, now he's come to earth and we need to stop him. Victor, is there a way you can hack his technology and put the cities back where they were?"

"Not unless I get a closer look at the tech in the mothership above Angel Grove and with Brainiac trapping our advanced spacecrafts, the ship is impossible to get to, so we need another plan."

"I can get you up there." Lorena says, morphing until her Ranger Armor stops at her neck and she pulls out the Dragon Dagger while Billy regains his bearings to join the group. "With Angel Grove under the dome, so are the Ranger Zord, except for mine. Since the Dragonzord is so massive and can't be kept in the Ship, Zordon and I came up with an idea to hide it in the ocean outside the city. I haven't completely mastered the Zord, but I have mastered the flight controls."

Lorena breathes deeply before playing the flute tune that summons the Dragonzord outside a nearby large viewing window with snarling mechanical teeth and frightening everyone in the group. "Sorry, Bad Linda has a mind of her own sometimes. Billy, Victor, you're with me, let's get our friends back and save the world."

As they turn towards the hanger to board the Dragonzord, all of the world's viewing are highjacked and the Rangers stop in their tracks when Lord Zedd appears with Tomi in his arms, which sends Lorena beyond her breaking point as he begins speaking with the help of mysterious toxins flowing through tubes around his entirely skinless body and going directly into the menacing mask covering his face.

"Greetings earthlings, I will make this painfully simple so even your minuscule minds will understand my threat. With the help of the world collector known as Brainiac, I have captured your world in a matter of hours, now I ask the rest of the team known the Power Rangers turn over the Zeo Crystal and return my wife to me unharmed within 24 hours, or be faced with the consequences of knowledge that you allowed this world to burn by my hand."

"Now I speak directly to my love, Rita. Once you are next to me again, I will keep the promise I once made to you on our wedding night and save Eltar by transforming this disguising planet into the home we once knew and this curious child in my arms to be the first witness to the gloriously advanced new world we will create from the blood and bone of the old one, then we will finally have peace."

Zedd's address continues, and Barbara furiously types on her super computer as she tries to tap into the video feed so humanity can make a statement of their own. Eventually, she nods at Lorena telling her that she has been successful, then Lorena looks at Billy as her helmet forms and she comes up with a quick plan. "Whatever I do next, please play along, okay?"

He nods and morphs, and she drags him into the view of Zedd on the screen before she forces him to kneel with swift, painful kick to the back of the kneecaps and holds the Dragon Dagger at his throat as she uses her helmet's voice scrambler to sound exactly like Rita. "I have captured the last of my old teammates, the pathetic Blue Ranger. As your lover and empress, I demand you lower your ship's shields and I will bring the prisoner to you so he can kneel to you as he did for me."

The more Lorena comfortably pretends to be Rita, the more Billy can't help but wonder if how much she is acting like Rita and how much she is allowing Rita to speak through her. The implications of Lorena's performance are frightening, but he doesn't have time to contemplate them when Zedd's transmission ends and Billy stands up seconds before Lorena quickly hugs him remorsefully. "I'm sorry for any pain I caused you, in order to get him to lower the shields, I had to make it look real."

"It's okay, you had me convinced, but you're just Lorena now, right?' Billy asks, once they separate, and Lorena nods to completely soothe away his fear. "Good, the shields are down, but how are we going to get the Dragonzord into the ship and rescue everyone unnoticed by Lord Zedd?"

Instead of answering him directly, Lorena storms off towards the Dragonzord with her feet stomping like thunder at a quick pace, slightly frightening Billy and Victor more as they catch up with her. She doesn't speak as they arrive at the Zord's cockpit and she begins the startup sequence.

Victor's eyes widen in amazement once he enters the Zord like he did in the Kryptonian Birthing Chamber decades earlier. "This is amazing!" Is all he can say to vocalize his feelings as his cybernetic half instantly scans in all the flashy bells and whistles that the alien spacecraft has to offer.

Billy sits down in a chair closely next to Lorena and his worry for her only grows because he hates to see his teammates in psychical or emotional pain, especially when they become so concerned for him in return. "Lorena, are you okay? You never answered my question, what are we going to do?"

"Buckle up, everyone." Lorena growls while seeing red and hitting the accelerator controls on full blast towards the ship like an unstoppable force of nature with an angry mother at the helm. "That monster has my baby, so I'm going to burn his ship until it's ash, then I'm going to bury him!"

* * *

Diana breathes shallowly and subconsciously listens to Trini's words of encouragement as she experiences a nightmare from her times in war like Hunter used to, except she's been in so many wars that it's difficult to remember what war in particular, her eyes move restlessly underneath their eyelids before Trini takes her hand to comfort her. "I know the pain you're going through and I'm asking you to please keep fighting, mom, because you're the best hero of them, Wonder Woman."

The dream ends slowly and painfully before they both share a look of intense worry as Diana wakes, and she immediately surges upward to hug her daughter closely as they begin to share a moment of love and relief in a cramped prison cell with the Rangers joining in.

"Thank goodness you're alright, I was so afraid of loosing you all." She continues holding Trini while looking at the rest of the Rangers and by the shared bored expression on all of their faces, Diana can tell they have been in this cell for a while. "How is everyone holding up? Where are Amanda and the children?"

"We don't know." Trini sighs heavily, sitting back down against the cell made entirely of the same shielding as the dome. "As far as we can tell, this cell block is for heroes with powers or other abilities that could be a threat and the civilians are being held somewhere else. That's why I've been staring at John Constantine chain smoke across from us for the past hour, and now he's waving at us."

Everyone waves at him awkwardly before they all resume a game catch using a small bouncy ball from Zack's pocket and Diana listens to the soft rhythm of the ball as she goes digging through her beach bag for something that could help fee them, only to come up with nothing. Whoever designed these cells knew what they were doing because it's completely seamless without any small cracks or holes, leaving Diana in a state of total helplessness that she absolutely despises being in.

"It appears we're going to be here for a awhile longer, can I join your game, please?" She asks, and Zack bounces the ball to her in response. Only minutes pass before the game is rudely interrupted by a blaring alarm and red lights flashing over their heads and Diana raises her fists in defense, then stands in front the children as Puddies go to investigate the sound of a dragon roar coming from outside the ship.

Meanwhile, Victor hangs on as Lorena rams the Dragonzord into the skull ship to just leave a dent when she needs a solid opening. "Do you have be so rough while I'm trying to work?" He grunts again while his cybernetic systems scan the ship on closer approach until finding one near the prison cells in the southwest quadrant and he highlights it on the Zord's dashboard. "That part seems to have life signs and it's the most vulnerable, but it's still gonna be tough to get through."

"I'm going to try something so make sure you're strapped in because it will be windy." The others tighten their seatbelts almost to the point where their limbs begin to numb seconds before Lorena rams the ship again, then digs the Dragonzord's claws around the space where the dent was made to have a clear target for the flamethrower to burn an entrance into the ship if one wasn't going to present itself.

"Almost there, just a few more seconds." Soon the spot where the flamethrower had been targeting is as soft as a creamy chocolate egg, giving Lorena the opportunity to punch a hole into the ship and step in like a complete badass, surprising Diana and the Rangers who were all gearing up to fight the person that captured them, not their friends who give them a slightly surprised, nonchalant wave from the cockpit like they're meeting for lunch. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Zack can't help but chuckles when seeing his friends this way. "Oh you know, we got sucked up in a spaceship by someone who is trying hard to keep in cage like a zoo animal, but it's not the first time we've been in cages and it won't be the last." He says with a tone that matches hers. "Do you have a way for us get out here?"

"Yep, give me a second and I'll get out of there." Victor approaches the door controls to the cell and his hand transforms and he forces the door to open an a flash of sparks. "Voilà, that's not all I can do, I come bearing gifts!" He goes back to the Zord and grabs clothes for everyone to change out of their swimwear with Billy being enamored by Victor as a machine/human hybrid while Jason is captivated by Victor's past.

Jason's eyes don't leave Victor while the group changes, causing him to become very uncomfortable as Jason goes full fanboy. "You're Victor Stone, like Victor Stone, the GCU football legend. You were my hero growing up and you inspired me to play the game myself, what happened to you? I totally thought you were going to go pro." Victor just stares at Jason calmly until he takes off the rose colored glasses. "Oh right, sorry about your accident."

Victor smiles, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, it's nice to know someone remembers me from those days. You're Jason Scott, right? I also followed your career on the high school level and I'm impressed by your skills as a player and as team captain. When this is over, I'd love to swap stories with you."

Zack can be heard groaning in annoyence seconds before he pushes the two men apart. "If you two are done with your bromance, I'd much rather we spend our time finding Amanda and the kids, then blow up this gothic horror ship that even Edgar Allen Poe would call excessive, so does anyone have a plan?"

"First, you need to know who we're up against." Victor displays a projected hologram video of Zedd's ultimatum to the world, then Lorena's sneaky response with Billy. Just one look at Zedd causes the Rangers' knees to weaken with crippling fear, sure they've faced monsters like this one in Rita, but she at least looked human when this guy appears to be just a monster straight out of their collective nightmares.

Luckily, Victor sends away the video and pulls up a map of the entire ship with three red dots of interest in completely opposite directions of one another, silently telling everyone that they're probably splitting up. "My systems have been scanning the ship since we landed here, so here's the situation. Your friend Amanda and the kids are being held in cells west of here, the master control panel for the domes are in the east, and this Lord Zedd guy is sitting on a throne at head of the ship true north of our position, probably waiting for us. I'm going for the master controls, so what about everyone else?"

Diana ties her hair back into a ponytail and pulls a large military combat knife from her beach bag before she places the bag in the Dragonzord's cockpit for later, surprising Trini because she knows her mother is a literal weapon with her Amazonian training, she just didn't expect her to have a knife so at the ready for a day at the beach. "Hey mom, where'd you get the knife? Were you expecting a fight today?"

"Of course not, I always keep your brother's army combat knife as a reminder of him and to never be caught off guard like I was when he passed. Do you want to accompany me to assist Victor, I could use your help?" Trini nods, even though Diana and Victor are capable of handling whatever this ship throws at them, a feeling in the back of her mind tells Trini to stick with Diana for what's about to happen. Diana looks down at Trini and gives a smile, then effortlessly switches from a caring mother to a methodical warrior when looking at Victor. "We'll guard you in order for you to work in peace, lead the way."

"Like I said, I'm going after Amanda and the kids. Anyone with me?" Zack asks, leading Lorena to stand next to him while remaining fully morphed in her Ranger Armor and seeming uncharacteristically stoic, maybe she's letting Rita into her mind more than she would like to admit, but that's who she needs right now to get Tomi home safe and sound.

Lorena turns her to the other three Rangers as Kimberly and Billy swap stories of their different arrival, and Jason looks pale with the horror of Zedd seconds before he collapses in Lorena's arms, his Ranger helmet fades away to reveal how scared he really is.

"I'm sorry." Jason cries through the tears faster than he can wipe them away, looking at everyone with a mixture of vulnerability, sadness, and honesty as he falls back on familiar football terms. "We're in the last play of everything while the clock's running out of time, now I've led us here on a spaceship faced with someone who's scarier than my dad, and I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Help me, what am I supposed to do?"

Lorena pulls Jason to the wall so they have a place to sit and a moment passes before her Ranger helmet fades away, then she gently holds his face in her hands, looking at looks at him comforting sternness. "Look at me, Red. You may be a leader, but you're not the only one, I'm here too and there's no need to shoulder this weight when the team is here. So the only way we're all going get this day is together, like the Avengers. God, I bet they have everything together better than us. That's it, when we get home, we're all going sit down and watch the Avengers movies for team building!" She announces.

Jason is beginning to feel better as Diana passes her phone to him with Sam Scott on the other side, then Jason takes a final deep breath before answering. "Hey Dad, can you please tell me about your day?"

Sam takes on a surprised tone, Jason has never cared about his day, much less asked him how it went, but he obliges anyway. "Well, your mother was right about the move, Mercy Reef is perfect for us, my blood pressure is way down in this new town away from work and Peril has made the honor roll at school, and you finally have the freedom and space you need. It's pretty strange that we found ourselves in domes this morning, but I hope you and your friends are safe out of Angel Grove, you had me worried when you called."

"No, my friends and I are about the furthest away from the domes as you can get." Jason just chuckles, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I just wanted to make sure you and the rest of the family was okay and I wanted to say I love you, I love all of you, alright

"I love you too, son, and I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, dad." Jason says in a watery tone, his voice barely above a whisper as him and Sam are the only two people on the planet.

The call ends aburptly and Jason is left staring at his sad expression in the black phone with a heavy sigh, then hands it back to Diana and stands to his feet with the help of Lorena, watching in confusion and surprise as her eyes flash green seconds before the Ranger helmet has a chance to fully encompass her. "Thank you both for your help with that... Wait Lorena, are you alright?"

"Of course I am." She ignores his concern in favor of getting onto the task at hand. "Here's the plan, Victor, Diana, and Trini will go down to switch off the master controls and free all the captives while Zack and I free Amanda and the kids. Phase two, Kimberly, Jason, and Billy will use this ship's schematics to find a science lab and build the type of explosive Billy built in high school, then place them systematically around the ship itself. Once all the cities have returned to their previous state, we'll blow this place to kingdom come and regroup to kill Zedd together. Understand?

Billy's hand shoots up in the air when Lorena finishes. "I thought you guys said I wasn't allowed to build those explosives anymore? Isn't it dangerous?"

"Today, Billy, we need you to let loose. No one's going give you detention this time, it'll be okay" Jason quickly regains his composure to be strong for Billy with a firm hand on his shoulder and a kiss on the cheek for courage. The Rangers all morph and the groups soon splits up towards their separate tasks, but Jason looks back at Lorena and she gives a thumbs up that convinces him to soldier on through the mission despite their personal feelings.

The stench of uneasiness hangs in the air around Trini as she sticks closely to her mother's hip like glue, following her movements like a mirror image because it's the only thing to make her feel safe in a ship such as this one and making Diana's heart swell with immense pride, they may not be true blood, but Trini is her daughter through and through.

Finally, the trio finds the master controls in the bowels of the ship with far too much ease for it to be a coincidence as Victor begins his work of hacking the master computer to open the cells, then Diana shoves Trini behind her for protection when a small army of Putties with the letter Z blazon across their chests jump down from the rafters above in a attack stance.

"Stay behind me, Little One." She orders while studying her enemy before charging in to the mass of cannon fodder. To Diana, this conflict is less of a challenge and more like a eloquent, yet fast-paced dance with Trini as her partner because she is successfully fight off the Putties with one hand and twirl Trini around her to safety once more whenever those horrid monsters begin to get the upper hand, but even that becomes a obstacle due to the army's sheer size.

Trini grunts in pain when she falls against the wall in pain right next to the master computer where Victor is engrossed with trying to break hrough the firewall, he glances at her quickly and offers her a hand cannon to take while his other hand is still furiously typing away. "Here, take this cannon, my body is evolving, so I'll be okay. Just take it!"

Without another thought, Trini rips the metallic cannon from Victor's arm, then Diana dives for cover as her daughter uses the cannon like a mini gun to destroy the wave of Putties and all others waves that dare to come near. By the time the Yellow Ranger is finished, she smells of asphalt and gunpowder and Diana can feel her heartbeat racing when she wraps Trini in a tight hug while kissing her hair. "Are you okay? Maybe I shouldn't have shown you those sci-fi Alien movies as a kid."

"Maybe, but we ended up encountering aliens anyway, so you did you a good job preparing me with those movies." Trini responds with a hearty chuckle with an exhausted deep breath before burying her head in Diana's chest and hugs her back, then they glance at Victor work behind their embrace. "Uncle Victor, how are you doing with the master controls?"

Victor is only met with a shower of powerful sparks and fire shooting outward from the console that force him to fly backwards against a wall in a daze of pure shock. "Victor, are you alright, what happened?" Diana asks as she and Trini kneel beside Victor to help him sit up.

The dazed expression remains clear on Victor's face while he tries explaining to the best of his ability. "I-I don't know. One moment, I was crashing through the firewall like it was another Tuesday and the next, I found myself like this. I can tell you two things for sure, that was a dummy switch planted here for us to find and I think whoever holds the real one is toying with us. We've all been Zedd's game from the minute we set foot on this ship, now let's just hope the others have better luck."

From many floors above, Jason and Billy fight off wave after wave of Zedd's Putties as Kimberly attempts to jimmy the lock of the main science lab with a hair pin. Finally, the Pink Ranger becomes fed up with the tedious process and decides to just kick it in while holding her Power Bow at the ready when she leads the boys into the lab.

The dark aesthetic continues throughout the lab with its twisted medical instruments only used to torture, the flickering lights that look seconds away from going out, a large vat of black, bubbling liquid on the table above an albino elf-goblin creature, who appears to be cowering in the corner away the Rangers. "Take what you need and go! Please don't hurt me, or report me to my Lord."

"Who are you? What's that black liquid?" Jason growls, keeping his voice low as he and Kimberly interrogate the timid creature, and Billy takes a test-tube kit from his pocket to get a sample of the liquid, then he begins making very crude explosives very quickly.

"Finster, My name is Finster." The creature responds before shielding his face with his clawed hands when Jason picks up by the shirt like a sack of potatoes, his eyes glance at the vat of liquid and Jason follows his gaze. "That liquid is a mixture of potions of my own creation to the Psycho Rangers totally compliant to my Lord's bidding."

"Totally compliant, are you saying the Psycho Rangers are innocent people brainwashed to be evil? Who are they under their masks?" Kimberly asks in the same growly tone, her fingers tightening on the bow string that holds an arrow back from entering Finster's skull.

Finster's face shows a range of mixed emotions from confusion and fear as he tries to come up with an answer that would keep him out of trouble with the Rangers or Lord Zedd. "Yes, wait, no. Maybe, my Lord said not to disclose their true identities ... By the ancients, what lie he want me to say? What answer works best for you?"

"Not one that will keep you conscious." Jason says seconds before gives a sharp elbow to Finster's face that knocks him out cold instantly. He drops the creature, then the Red Ranger's helmet fades as Kimberly does the same thing and they share a look of uncertainty. In truth, Finster's answer was vague, but it was enough for them to wonder if the other teams have encountered the Psycho Rangers on the ship using their rage of their past defeat without knowing the full truth.

"Team, come in, it's Kimberly. If you can hear me and find the Psycho Rangers somewhere on this ship, then please don't kill them, subdue them only because there could be brainwashed innocent people under their masks." Kimberly only hears static and she knows this ship is blocking their comms, so whatever hope they had at the beginning of the day has been swiftly crushed if the teams coordinate a plan together. "We're on our own now."

Lorena only has tunnel vision for Tomi as she marches with fury through the ship towards the small blinking dot that represents her, she can't help it when her mind wanders back to thoughts of Hunter and she wonders he felt this same fury on the day they went down to Atlantis to rescue Diana from Orm's evil grasp.

She wants the thoughts to quiet themselves so she can focus, but they only seem to get louder the closer she gets to her goal, then one thought stands out above the rest, would Hunter approve of the way she is raising Tomi? Why is she thinking this way? She's never had to prove anything to Hunter because he's always saw her as perfect. But Tomi is Hunter's daughter as much as she is Lorena's, and Lorena often reminisces about life with her husband would've been like if they both had a chance to see Tomi grow up into a strong young woman Lorena knows she will be someday.

"We're here." Zack announces, taking Lorena out of her thoughts. His helmet fades and kneels as he watches Amanda trying to calm Tomi down with a lullaby spoken in a whisper while Paige and Adrian run to the Rangers for comfort, only to be met with an electric shock when they run out of the bounds of their prison cell. "Hey, hold on. We're gonna get you guys out of there soon, alright."

Instead of spending time entering the right code or trying to pick the cell's lock, Lorena jams the Dragon Dagger in the control panel and forces it short circuit. "I learned that trick from Billy." She says, rushing into the cell to hold Tomi once again, and being surprised when Amanda holds Tomi away from her then twists the Dagger out of her hand to hold it at the Green Ranger's throat with a sickening smirk. "Miss Clarke, what the hell are you doing? GIVE ME MY CHILD!"

Amanda only chuckles before she screams in agony and drops the Dragon Dagger, freeing Lorena and Tomi from her hold as a pink armor forms out of her body, then the innocent girl appears to be the evil Pink Psycho Ranger. She gasps in mock surprise and speaks with a different tone of voice when Zack and Lorena quickly assume fighting stances with their weapons drawn. "Oh, don't be so surprised, I was only playing you from the very beginning. Now, who wants to see my Lord?"

No one speaks, but Lorena can tell Zack is fuming with blinding anger, so she grabs him and the children then forces everyone out of the room to safety of the hallway, leaving Amanda as Psycho Pink behind before anyone can make a move. Zack just bangs his fist on the door after it closes to get back inside until he falls to his knees in exhaustion and Lorena holds him closely with one arm while holding Tomi in the other. "Zack, we'll get her back and free her from Zedd's control, but right now we need to the children back to my Zord where it's safe."

How can you be so damn sure we'll be able to get her back? Why the hell are you you so calm?" He says with a twinge of anger in his voice.

"I'm as angry as you are, Zack, but we don't have time for anger when we need to move." She says calmly and quietly while helping her teammate up and dusting off his shoulders. Her little pep talk seems to spur Zack out of his negative funk, so he gathers the children and holds their hands as she leads the way back to the Dragonzord. "Come along, children. We're going off on an adventure!"

"Like the kids from Mary Poppins? You sounded like her when you said that." Paige says in excitement despite their current location and predicament, and the adults both quickly nod in agreement if that makes the children more comfortable while they go through a nightmarish hellhole like this.

Lorena isn't sure who or what's guiding her towards her goal faster than even she expected, maybe it's the love she feels with having Tomi in her arms once again, or maybe it's the strong familial bond she feels with her Ranger Team, or the absolute rage she feels against Zedd for ruining her nice day, but she feels as if she has the momentum of freight train right now, or at least that's what she thought before encountering Psycho Green.

In an instant, Zack is close lined by an unforeseen attacker before Psycho Green makes a grand enterence from sulking in the shadows, before he stomps on Zack's chest for good measure until Lorena comes in with a jump kick that temporally knocks him into a wall in deep disorientation. She quickly helps Zack to his feet then guides him and the children in the direction of the Dragonzord while she faces her evil counterpart alone.

"Hey Greenie, what are you doing?" Zack asks, the tone of urgency coming through clearly in his voice. "Trust me when I say that you don't want to fight this douche one on one, so let me help you and I bet we can take him together, please!"

"I have to fight him alone, besides, I don't think you want to drag the kids into this fight. Take them back to my Zord and from what I've read of the instructions, if I'm not there in thirty minutes, the emergency protocols will activate and return to the sea near the Ship, leaving me behind, but at least I'll know you'll be safe." Lorena kisses Tomi through the mouth piece on her helmet, then carefully hands her to Zack and even though he can't see her eyes, Zack swears Lorena just winked at him underneath her visor. "Go, I'll be okay."

"You'd better be right because you're too important to the team to die now." Zack playfully threatens Lorena before taking the children and running off with the sounds of Psycho Green cackling in the distance.

"How truly foolish are you?" Psycho Green asks while brandishing two dual saba weapons with tigers on their hilts, one white and the other black. "Do you honestly believe you're strong enough to take me on alone when one of us is a proven warrior and the other is nothing more than a child?"

"Oh, that's sweet of you to say. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll hit puberty soon enough." Damn it, Lorena wishes she sent Zack away after making that quip because she could really use a high-five right about now, but she carries on anyway with the memories of her friends and family fueling her attacks above all else.

Psycho Green lunges at his opponent in an unquenchable rage caused by that comment and Lorena only has seconds to hold the Dragon Dagger in defense of herself. From there, each combatant enters a rhythmic battle where neither person is able truly get the upper hand on the other until a weak point can be found.

Lorena is pretty much on the backfoot for the entire conflict, just blocking attack after attack with precision and hope that Psycho Green will soon exhaust himself, even that proves to be a challenge when he keeps coming at her with movements and attacks she's only seen two people use before, and one of them is supposed to be dead.

Finally, an opening presents itself to Lorena and she takes it without any further thought by blocking him from using White Tiger Saba with her dagger, then she kicks out his knees before he has a chance for the Black Tiger Saba to connect to face, forcing the weapon to fly out of his hands and into hers where she holds it his neck as the standoff begins.

"Yield now, and I will show mercy, but my restrain-" Lorena demands of her opponent before being silenced when he removes the Black Saba from their clash, then stabs her through the abdomen. She immediately coughs up blood inside her helmet, blinding her vision as Psycho Green grabs her by the neck and slams her head down on the cold metallic floor over and over until pieces of her helmet to break away to reveal who she is really underneath.

"You're not my Empress! How dare you abuse her great power!" Psycho Green growls in pure anger while pulling Lorena closer to his face, his hand squeezing around her neck a litter tighter.

Lorena chuckles weakly, spitting her blood at him through the piece of her helmet showing her right eye and continuing all down to her part of her mouth. "What do you mean, abuse? Y'know, I've seen images of Rita and I think I pull the color green off better than she ever did, certainly better than you, all things considered. So, what's next, huh? because If I have a say things, I would like you to remove this weapon from my body and apologize, please...?"

The shock of Lorena being so excessively injured is felt almost instantaneously by the other Rangers, as if they could all feel her Green Ranger energy spread prosperously throughout the Morphing Gird in one moment, only to have it so violently snuffed out the next moment.

Zack is the first Ranger to feel this shock and it almost floors him as he brings the children to stay in the Dragonzord's cockpit. "I need all of you to stay here and stay out of sight of the bad guys, understand? I-I have to go deal with something." He says to Adrian while giving him Tomi to hold and give Paige his phone so the children won't be bored before stumbling out of Zord still visably shaken.

Apparently, he isn't the only one who feels the shock because he spots Diana, Victor, and the other Rangers all coming from different directions towards the epicenter of Lorena's assault. Through their shared connection in the Morphing Grid, the Rangers all feel a need to avenge their friend when Zack kneels down to examine the pieces of Lorena's broken helmet and trail of blood left behind. Zack can't express his anger with words, he just puts his fist into a nearby wall, then storms away from the others following the blood trail in the direction of where he suspects Lord Zedd to be.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Jason shouts back at him as he continues walking. "Zack, don't you understand that we need to come up with a plan?!"

By this point, Zack is at his wit's end with everything today has thrown in his way, so he seems confrontational yet defensive as he gets right in Jason's face on the brink of an emotional breakdown. "No, it's you who doesn't understand that Zedd has played us from the moment the Psycho Rangers landed in Angel Grove. He's taken our homes and turned our loved ones against us, now he's captured our friend and teammate for heinous torture I wouldn't wish on anyone. I already lost my mother to something I couldn't control and I would be dammed if I let that happen again to anyone else I care about. The kids are safe in the Dragonzord, so I'm going to rescue Lorena and face Zedd alone if I have to!"

Zack and Jason stare each other down until the Black Ranger sighs in defeat, then decides to follow the blood trail once more without another word. Diana, Trini, Kimberly, Victor quickly catch up with him because of their shared close with Lorena and a want to stop this monstrous attack on their homes. Billy soon follows, passing out his makeshift explosives to everyone so they can plant them along the path to Zedd.

Jason is the last hold out, but he gives a long sighs as he walks to the front of the group to address them. "Alright, if go after Lorena and Zedd, then we go straight for his throat with a killing strike, screw Zordon's rules because I'm pretty sure they were thrown out the window when we found ourselves in freaking outer space, so let's go to war."

The group take their time to think as Victor leads them around the ship because they all understand that the confrontation with Zedd could very well end in the same way their first encounter with Rita ended, everyone knows it, but they also wonder if they have enough willpower to stop history from repeating itself this time. Everyone's thoughts become more clouded they closer they arrive at their goal until Victor is forced to deliver a sobering message.

"This is it, guys. Zedd appears to be in the room beyond this door." He leads the group to a large and cold metal door encompassing the whole hallway with a menacing serpent as an ordainment to frighten potential enemies, which makes Trini suddenly find it harder to breathe as she pulls Diana aside to speak privately.

"Hey mom, I love you and how you're this overprotective powerhouse of an Amazonian warrior woman, which is going make it so much harder when I have to send you away." She watches with a pained expression as Diana crosses her arms in refusal and she is about speak up, but Trini cuts her off. "Look, we don't have to argue, the kids need you more then we do because if we manage to blow up the ship and don't make out in time, then I have to know my kid has your comfort when the Zord's safety protocols activate. Please, I know you would do the same for me if I was in Adrian's position."

"For the record, I don't agree with your plan when I know what this team is up against, but I understand it nonetheless, Victor and I will protect the children with our lives. Please, just be careful and bring Lorena home safely because I will not loose anymore of children." Diana has a tone of heavy reluctance as she hugs Trini and invites the other Rangers to join in because they've all become family to her as much as Trini and Lorena have, and she can't stand the thought of losing them like she lost Hunter.

The hug lasts longer than it should as Victor hacks the door open, then Diana walks down the hall at a quick pace with only the mission on her mind because she might turn around if she thinks of anything else. Suddenly, the Rangers are alone in a room strangely similar to the Command Ship with it's display of the Morphing Gird in the center of the room in front of two matching throne chair made of stone. The team's heartrates skyrocket well beyond normal means at the sight of Lorena suspended in the air by a large number of torturous tubes betroduding from her body through the shattered pieces of her Ranger armor.

Lorena doesn't seem to know where she  because she barely reponds to anyone's touch when Jason and Zack rush to hold her up while Trini, Kimberly, and Billy painfully remove the tubes, but the bleeding doesn't stop as Zack breaks Lorena's helmet off and checks the weak pulse on her neck in the hopes she is still alive.

"Greenie, please tell us you're alright. We're here to take you home, just wake up, okay?" He pleads softly, lightly slapping her cheek to rouse her awake.

"Ugh, wha- No, you guys can't be here! Get as far from me as you can, or he'll torture you too. Save yourselves and forget me!" Lorena pleads with her team in a fear filled tone like they've never heard from her once she struggles to open to open her eyes because of her badly beaten face. She actively tries to free herself from Zack's protective hold seconds before a figure jumps from the rafters above them and sends shockwave to force a rift between Lorena and the rest of her team.

"Stand away from my wife, Zordon!" Lord Zedd demands in a controlled growl before he savagely attacks the team with his staff and leaves Lorena to watch horrified in the corner knowing she is too weak to fight back. Soon the fight devolves into chaos and it's the Rangers are facing Rita at the boatyard all over again because no matter how hard they try, they aren't able to even lay a finger of their opponent while Zedd seems to enjoy how easy this contest is when he is faced with children thinking they can play dress up.

"Is this what has become of our team, oh great Zordon of Eltar? I am truly ashamed to have known you" Zedd laughs evilly as he grabs Kimberly by the stomach and slams her on the floor hard, cracking one of her ribs before he throws her into Zack and Billy when they try to stand up and fight again.

"Hey jackass, WE ARE NOT ZORDON'S TEAM!" Trini screams to dissuade Zedd as she launches herself at him with her Power Daggers aimed at his head while Jason sneaks behind them with his arm transformed into the Red Power Sword. Zedd effortlessly swats Trini away like a fly and turns his attention on Jason, scaring the Red Ranger as he holds him by the neck and Jason struggles to land any sort of damage.

Jason doesn't have the energy to fight back as Zedd punches his broken helmet off, then he struggles to breathe when Zedd pulls him close their faces are only centimeters apart and Jason can see the bloodshot eyes beneath Zedd's visor. "So, it's true? If you represent Zordon and his broken ideals, then I will send him a message when I deliver your cold corpuses at his feet. Starting with you, Red Ranger."

He squeezes his neck tighter and tighter and Jason's world's slowly begins to blacken until the Dragon Dagger flies into Zedd arm, forcing him to scream in pain and drop Jason as everyone's attention is drawn on Lorena as she leans against the wall to stand with an angry and broken expression on his face left behind by the day. "Let them go now and leave earth completely in peace, and I come with you to be your wife, I'll even become Rita if you want me to."

"Lorena! What the hell are you doing? We're not leaving here without you!" Jason shouts at Lorena with his voice breaking as he staggers over to check the team for any injuries.

"I'm making this impossibly difficult choice so you don't have to. Just make sure Tomi is loved and cared for by Diana in the ways I never could because everything will be alright, go live your lives in peace and I'll know I'm not mistaken in the way I've chosen to live mine now." Lorena gives her team a comforting wink, Zack in particular because he understands the sentiment that her words carry.

"You have my respect, Green Ranger Why did you do that?" Zedd asks, surprised and impressed by her bravely for the Rangers when all of the odds are against them.

"Because, they are my team, and they're just kids who didn't deserve this war. So I will anything to protect them from it." Lorena gestures to the other Rangers as she stumbles over Zedd, then her eyes go from brown to green as she stop fighting Rita like she's been fighting all long and allows her to take total control. "Do we have a deal, my love?"

"Yes, take your seat on your throne and we'll be off." Zedd shows Lorena over to Rita's throne while walking to his own, then presses a difficult combination of buttons that cause the whole ship to shake and rumble as the world's cities are safely returned to the earth below, followed by the Dragonzord returning to the Ship. Lorena feels heavy regret infest her heart and she only has seconds to think on it when Zedd interrupts.

"Thank you for seeing reason, Rangers, as a gesture of good will, I feel it's only fair that I return some of your loved ones to you. Finster, bring the three captured Psycho Rangers to the throne room for a prisoner exchange." His order is followed by confusion from the six Power Rangers until the Pink, Yellow, and Green Psycho Rangers enter the room like marching toy soldiers. Zack tries to muster the will to stand and fight Zedd again, so he can reach Amanda, but Zedd threatens to beat him back down if he tries anything before addressing the Psychos like a ruthless dictator. "Remove your helmets."

Psycho Pink is first, revealing herself as Amanda Clarke to the surprise of everyone, except for Lorena and Zack, the latter of whom feels the sting of her betrayal more now that it's confirmed. Psycho Yellow goes after and she is a downright menacing woman with olive skin and who's brown eyes don't leave Psycho Green's direction when he reveals himself to be Hunter Prince clean shaven in the flesh and back from dead while no emotion is seen in his once hopeful blue eyes.

Suddenly, everything about Psycho Green makes perfect sense, how he was so easily able to call Diana by name back when the Psycho Rangers first arrived in Angel Grove and how Lorena was able to recognize Hunter's Amazonian fighting style during their first encounter. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HUSBAND!?" Lorena demands, sharply removing the Dragon Dagger from Zedd's arm and plunging it into his neck while Billy hits the detonator to set off the hidden bombs around the ship.

The world around them explodes with glorious pyrotechnics and in a matter of seconds, everything transforms into a mad scramble as Zack grabs Amanda's hand and pulls her next to him, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini while Amanda just goes along with it in a hazy mind-controlled state, then the woman who was formally the Psycho Yellow, sprouts literal large bird wings from her back and carries the group to safety outside through a newly presented hole in the ship while it careens into the waters of Amber Beach.

This mysterious woman seems be on the side of the angels, or at least that's how she appears to the group with her featherd wings as she lays them safely on the cool sand before she leaves them with a warning while flying towards the ship like a hawk. "Stay here where it's safe, I'm going to get your friends and Hunter. Hopefully it's not too late to save him!"

On the flaming ship many miles above their heads, Lorena struggles to reach an unconceious Hunter in time while Jason tries grabbing both of them so they can make an escape and Zedd tries to grab his wife, more importantly, her Ranger Coin, causing a massive expolsion of feedback energy that forcefully throws everyone from the ship.

Jason feels a cool wind rush past his entire life and he doesn't have the energy or time to think of a plan to get himself and the others out of trouble, so he just closes his eyes in acceptance of the fate given to him because this is the end and it's his fault for leading the Rangers here. In the end, that's the only thought running in his head as he continues to fall until the bird woman swoops in and carries him safely in her arms.

She gently lays him on the beach where the rest of the team, along with Lorena and Hunter lay in various states of exhaustion. "Team... call out, please." Jason says to get a headcount so he knows everyone is still alive. Billy, Zack, Trini, and Kimberly all raise their hands to give confirmation, but Lorena is unsettlingly quiet next to Hunter as she holds something in her hand. "Lorena, are you alright? You're worrying me."

"I'm okay, Jason, but my Coin isn't." Lorena says in a emotionally destroyed tone as she slowly gathers enough strength to stand and show the team smithered remains of her Green Power Coin before it blows like dust in the wind. "Looks like I'm no longer the Green Power Ranger."

"We have a bigger problem to deal with." Trini turns to the mysterious woman as she frantically removes peices of Hunter's Psycho Armor down to his bare torso where she rips off his cybernetic left arm and throws it far away in the water. "Who are you, how do you have wings, and how did my suddenly alive big brother get on board Zedd's ship with you?"

"Like this." The woman demonstrates by quickly producing two giantic bird wings out of slits on her back, then she retracting them just as fast, her focus doesn't leave Hunter as she addresses the group in a deadly serious tone. "I'll explain everything later, all you need to know now is, this is your brother alive and my name is Dr. Kendra Saunders, aka, Hawkwoman. If we don't get Zedd's black poisons out of Amanda's and Hunter's bloodstreams, they will die."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was coming up with ways to describe, Lord Zedd for the modern age, I imagined Darth Vader just without the black protective suit, he did something horrible to his mind and body, now he's paying the price for it. I've been flirting with the idea of Lorena going to the dark side, but this won't be the last time she goes there as her Coin was destroyed completely, leading her to use other Ranger forms as a replacement.


	5. A Prince's Odyssey.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Diana the Rangers regroup in the Command Ship, Kendra and Hunter's history together is revealed, and suspicions are raised when Alpha 5 lets a secret slip out about the former Green Ranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long between chapters, I was actually writing a new fanfiction story, which is my first foray into the MCU fandom titled Agent 77, based on super spy Jessica Drew meeting and protecting Peter Parker, but onto this story at hand. This chapter is going to be different than the others so far, but not so different if you've already read A Prince's Legacy because I wrote two flashback chapters regarding Hunter's childhood so this one will mainly focus on how Hunter came back to life and his journey back home to his family.

* * *

Oftentimes, it's seen as beneficial to make a pro/con list for important life decisions like buying a house, taking the next step in a relationship, or quitting a demeaning job, and right now Jason Scott is trying to make the same list in his head while the team carries Hunter and Amanda back to the Ship after a day that feels very much like a defeat.

Pro, his Ranger team managed to possibly defeat Lord Zedd and return the world back to its natural state, con, Lorena lost her Green Ranger powers during the fight. Pro, a mysterious bird woman literally swooped and saved all of their lives as the ship crashed into the sea, con, he isn't sure if this woman is trustworthy. Pro, Hunter Prince and Amanda Clarke reappeared in their lives alive, con, turns out they were under mind control used to transform them into two of the evil Psycho Rangers who severely trounced the team in combat months earlier. So, it's a bit of a mixed bag in Jason's eyes.

Once he arrives back at the Command Ship, Jason stops and stares directly at the Morphing Gird as if he's stuck in a trance and the Gird will provide answers while the rest of this hectic world continues spinning regardless of him. "Lay them on the beds so I can get them stabilized before the poison takes full effect!" Kendra orders Zack as he carries an unconscious Amanda followed by Trini and Billy carrying Hunter while he's in the same state as her.

"Do you have IV bags or any other medical supplies here?" She asks, opening each of their eyes to see if they respond to light before barking more orders. "Come on everyone, get a move on it." In response, Zack quickly races off to another part of the Ship to grab what supplies they do have on hand because if there's one thing he's learned from years of being a Ranger, it's always have a fully stocked med kit at the ready, especially after those world ending battles.

He returns to the med bay not a minute after leaving and watches in horror as Amanda and Hunter begin to have violent seizures while Trini, Billy, and Kendra try their best to calm them down, but he can see it isn't working, so he goes back for another supply run and returns with two oxygen tanks and two breathing tubes. He then sticks the tubes down their throats and turns on the tanks, but that does little to quell their seizures, leading Zack to slam his fist into the wall in frustration. "Yeah, after a shitty day for the ages, why doesn't life let my years of hard work in med school go to waste as well? That'd be great."

"It's nothing you did, Black." Kendra says with a brief look of reassurance before holding her out for something. "Their bodies are rejecting anything we do because the Zedd's poison is still coursing its way their systems, and a slow detox is the only way to save them without causing further damage. Does anyone have a sample of the black liquid?"

Billy hands over his test tubes without question because there's no time for those, then Kendra pours the liquid into the IV bag and mixes it with water before sticking the needle into the black colored vains on Amanda's arm to begin an IV drip, watching her body and heartrate relax while Hunter is left to suffer. "Hey bird lady, what about my brother?!" Trini asks, enraged as still tries holding him down on the bed.

"If Hunter is the person we both know him as, then we both know his Demigod body will force him to stay alive, just like it has been after all this time. He'll be fine, but the detox process will be extremely painful for him. Now, please calm down, I promise everything will be okay."

Trini's anger fumes over the edge, how can this mystery woman be so knowledgeable about her family when she won't reveal anything about herself in return? Trini is about ready to let her rage be heard when Kimberly asks for her while finally entering the Ship with Lorena holding onto her for support. "Why should we do anything you say, or even trust you at all when you've done very little to earn it? And why do you know Hunter so well?" She asks, probably speaking for Lorena as well after she seems inconsolable at the moment.

"There'll be time for quest-" Kendra begins speaking in the same dismissive tone before silencing herself when her eyes widen as she finally spots Lorena, more importantly, her purple colored hair and reaches out to touch it. "It's you... As long as I've known Hunter, he's always spoken about returning to an angel with purple hair and here you are, he's finally found you."

Lorena doesn't allow her cheeks to show how that comment made her blush while grabbing Kendra's wrist before she touch her, suddenly getting her nerve back as she speaks with a low, desperate growl. "Look, my Coin may have been destroyed, but I don't need it to kick your ass! So, you better give us some answers, or we'll see how many of your bones I can break with just my Atlantean strength!"

She begins twisting her arm until Jason breaks them apart and pulls Lorena back, trying to calm her down as Alpha walks over with a worried little waddle. "Lorena's Green Power Coin was destroyed? Of course it was, that's why the Ship did not recognize your Green Coin energy when you entered. Oh, no, this is terrible. Don't worry, Mrs. Prince, I will retrieve your second Power Coin."

"Silence, Alpha!" Zordon roars, suddenly popping out of his wall and taking everyone by surprise with his blistering anger and causing Lorena to drop her new question brought on by Alpha's response. "I'm sorry to hear about your Coin, Lorena, but it also seems like the magnitude of the explosion in Lord Zedd's craft caused the energy signature of this earth and the earth that Lorena once came from have merged into one single new earth built from the old one, meaning the events, people and memories of your life have merged as well."

"Then Diana has to be told about Hunter." Lorena says with firm and leadership tone in her voice as she sits at Hunter's bedside and runs her fingers through his long, flowing mane of brown hair, drawing out the ire in the Yellow Ranger when Diana is mentioned.

Trini leans close so only she and Lorena can hear the conversation while the other Rangers dress their wounds or discuss with Zordon what they next move is since they are one team member down. "I'm right there with you, Lorena, God knows I want to tell my mother as well, but there's no way to tell if this version of Hunter in front of us is the one we all know, or a version of Hunter that is entirely new. That scares me, so until we figure it out, we shouldn't tell Diana."

Damn it, Lorena knows Trini is total correct be afraid of this unknown version of Hunter, but that still doesn't quell the immense pain Lorena feels in her heart that adds to the pain she feels all over her body with a small amount of relief coming in the form of Jason sitting down next to her and taking her hand. "Can we talk leader to leader? In all of excitement of people coming back into our lives, I wanted to ask how you're doing with all that's happened? It must be nice to finally have Rita out of your head for good?"

"Yes, it is. I feel like I finally able to breathe right again without her clouding my mind." Lorena chuckles in a small amount of peace, despite her tone remaining low and deeply sad. "Although, I would've taken all the threats and abuse she could've dished out at me if that meant spending more time as apart of this team because I love all of you like family and it hurts me more than anything I experienced today to know I won't be able to fight alongside the team anymore when I thought I was going to be a Ranger until I was old and gray with the rest of you. The worst part of loosing my coin is, I still feel deeply connected to the Morphing Gird somehow."

"It isn't all bad, though." She says to pick up the team's spirit, as well as her own while leaning down to kiss Hunter's forehead, then she tries her best not to show her new limp off in front of the team as she heads out of the Ship for some air. "Whoever this Hunter is, please keep him while I go for a walk."

As soon as she touches the solid ground on the cliffs above the Ship, Lorena nearly collapses under the weight of today's events, her knees are weak, her vision is blurry, her breathing is shallow, and her team is shaky ground after the sixth pillar of their strong bond has been shattered, but the thing to bring her peace is Hunter. Her husband is alive and in her life once more despite all of the odds against that fact, the father of her child is alive and will be present for Tomi's childhood. Oh shit, Tomi, because of the day's commotion, Lorena forget to check with Diana if Tomi is safe at home, so she races off towards Diana's place as fast as her broken body will carry her with one mission in mind.

After bursting through the front door and taking Diana by surprise, Lorena then places her hands on her knees and takes a breather while Diana has Tomi in her arms and the other kids resting comfortably on the couch. "Lorena, you had me worried when I saw Zedd's ship fall into the ocean, I was going to join the League's clean up and search and rescue crew once I got Tomi down to sleep, are Trini and the other Rangers alright? Where are they?" She asks with a tone of deep concern and relief, meeting Lorena at the front door.

"When did Hunter die?" Lorena asks, getting straight to the point and refusing to look Diana in the eyes because she knows how the question breaks her heart. The room is completely silent, except for Tomi's baby babblings as Lorena waits for Diana to answer and when no answer can be heard, she asks again more forcefully. "Come on, you know the answer so just say it. Tell me!"

"Seventeen months ago." Diana says with heavy sadness and reluctance in her voice, confirming Zordon's theroy. Soon, both women are holding each other as they slowly fall apart over the memory of a good man they both loved in different ways until she gathers herself enough to ask questions about Lorena's well-being once she sees the many wounds on her body and the limp she walked in with. "How badly are you hurt? Did that Zedd creature use Hunter's memory to gain leverage and torture you? Because I feel as if that monster gave a puzzling memory. of how I somehow met with my son in the year 1984."

Lorena falls silent for a moment while debating whether to keep Trini's agreement or tell Diana what happened, then she stares into Tomi's oceanic blue eyes and her mind is made up instantly because her daughter deserves to have life where she knows her father, it's time to break the cycle of absent fathers. She then looks at Diana with tears drying in her own eyes. "No, what he did was so much worse. There's something I have to tell you, Diana..."

"Where is he?! Where is Hunter?!" Diana storms onto the Command Ship like the unstoppable force that she is, and angering Trini, who shoots daggers at Lorena as she follows from behind with Tomi snuggled in her arms. By the they arrive, Hunter has regained consciousness while his arm is handcuffed to his bed and a silent pain about him. The pain of being of a gentle person who spent a life bringing peace to others, but never kept any for himself, a pain Diana knew all to well and couldn't stand to see it in her son's once optimistic blue eyes.

Trini is very quick to step in front of Diana's path to Hunter and hold block her when she tries to get further as Trini herself explains what's going on to the best of understanding. "Yes, mom, it's a version of Hunter, but we don't know if he's our version. Until we figure it out, can you please keep your distance away from him?"

"I believe I can help you determine that, Master Trini." Alpha says, scurrying up to the group and looking at them with his golden robotic eyes. "I've been scanning everyone since the moment they entered the Ship and Hunter is heavily scarred, from the tiny one on his eyebrow, to the one left behind when his entire left arm was forcibly removed, and let's not forget about the one on the on his chest where the sword that took his life-"

Diana stomps her foot to silence Alpha because she doesn't want to hear anymore about Hunter's scars or injuries and certainly not about the one that took his life. "Enough of this, robot! Skip to the end!"

"Well, my point is, this version of Hunter is someone new, someone who is both your son and Trini's older brother from this earth while also being Lorena's husband and Tomiko's father from Lorena's earth of origin. This Hunter is a man of two earths in one."

"My poor baby boy, what happened to you?" Nothing is going to stop Diana from running towards her son, and Hunter breaks out of his chains in effort to meet her halfway, only for Hunter to tackle her to the with the full force of his one remaining hand grasped firmly around her neck, leaving Diana unable to recognize the baby she once gave birth to as she tries to calm him down peacefully without causing anymore harm to the both of them. "Hunter... please stop and listen to me, Little One. We are not going to hurt you... We are your family."

"I trusted you, I waited for you, I loved you, and you abandoned me! You let them hurt me, now I'm going to do the same to you." Hunter grits his teeth in rage and leans in close so Diana can see anger in his eyes as he seems to be totally unaffected by Lorena and the Rangers trying to pull him off Diana until Kendra is forced to send her mace directly to his temple, knocking Hunter unconceious again and allowing Diana a chance to breathe.

Kendra sets her mace against the wall and sits down next to the weapon before giving Diana an expression of apologetic tiredness. "I'm sorry about him. Whatever poisons are coursing through Hunter right now has severely altered his mind and history to fit Zedd's twisted design. He did this to all of the Psycho Rangers, I soon realized his intentions and I was able to stop it for myself, but it was too late for him. Hunter believes he was abandoned as a baby."

"Mom, are you alright? Did Hunter hurt you?" Trini asks with deep concern for her mother and brother, noticing the fresh bruises on Diana's neck as she grabs her hand and helps her stand.

"I'm fine, Trini. Your brother's words hurt me more than anything he can do to me physically, which brings me to you..." Diana's tone drops into anger at Kendra and she gives her a death glare that would make the heavens shake as she demands answers. "Who the hell are you, and how do know my son?"

The importance of the person standing in front of her slowly dawns on Kendra the more she looks at Diana in the same way she looked at Lorena before her. "Oh, my god! You're his mother, aren't you? When Hunter first told me about you, I didn't believe him, but now you're standing in front of me and he was right. God is a woman."

"I am." Diana confirms sternly, the glare never leaving her face. "That still doesn't answer my questions. Did you bring my son back to life? In my experience, only the gods can bring people back to life, and they always have nefarious purposes for doing so, what's your angle?"

Kendra sits there dumbfounded with an expression to match. "I don't have one, and I'm not a god, that's only Hunter. I'm just someone who found him many years ago and we've done everything to protect each other as we fight to get back to the ones we love."

"Years, you keep saying you've known Hunter for years when he would've died over a year and a half ago, and he would only be around my age of 28 if he didn't pass away. So, how long have you known him? Who is he to you?" Lorena asks, sharing Diana's glare along with Trini as all three woman stand united in their quest for answers.

"I've been a great many thing to him, mostly a priest to confess his sins to or someone to pull him back when he went too far, and Hunter been a great many things to the world, soldier poet, a divine god of intervention, mostly a peacemaker. I first found him 5000 years ago after the Greek Gods fell to earth in battle against Ares and I've never known a finer man in that time because he never stopped trying to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders with what is left of his heart, but he didn't appear that way. In fact, he was more of a ghost than a person."

Suddenly, Diana forgets how to breathe like she did when she first saw Hunter laying in the dirt back in Reefside, leaving Trini, Kimberly and Lorena to catch her before she has a chance to fall on the steel floor. Her son's life has never been an easy one and to know he spent that much time fighting alone without her or anyone else he loves, breaks Diana's already shattered heart more times than even she thought possible, yet her heart keeps beating in a hallow shell, such as the nature of someone who's lived as long as she has.

"Wow, immortality really does wonders for Hunter, and he's still built like brick wall." Zack says, noticing how Hunter has kept up his spectacular Amazonian physique as he doesn't look a day older then the day Trini first introduced him to the team, drawing the attention of every pair of eyes in the Ship on him, especially Diana's. "And you look great too, Mama Wonder, let's not forget who Hunter gets it from."

While Diana often appreciates Zack's brevity and wit, now isn't the best time for that, now is the time for answers. So she leans into the safety provided by her daughter figures and looks at Kendra when a shell-shocked expression as she pieces everything together. "Here's how this is going to play out, you will start at the very beginning and do not dare leave anything out. Now, tell me about my son."

* * *

Diana's home, London - 25 years ago.

"Mama, wake up!" Hunter's tiny voice screaming throughout the house and the little pitter-patter of his bare feet on the wooden floor gives Diana a warning to wake up in her bed, but she doesn't have a chance when Hunter jumps on top of her and shakes her awake with worried haste. "Wake up, the sky is falling down!"

To Diana's credit, she immediately leaps into action to save her children by grabbing her sword and shield from the closet while speaking to Hunter over her shoulder. "Hunter, grab your sister from her crib and get behind me." Her son does as he was told, taking Trini out of her crib at the foot of Diana's bed and running Diana for safety, peeking out from behind her when she opens the curtains in the darkened room to see the outside world in the middle of a peaceful December snowfall.

Diana sighs relief, letting her guard down and waving for Hunter to meet her by the window where she wraps her arms around him and Hunter rests into her warm hold. "It's okay, Hunter, the sky isn't falling down. It's just snow, I sometimes forget you haven't seen anything like this yet, but snow won't hurt you." She opens the window just enough to reach her hand outside and allow the heavy snowfall to fall within her grasp before she pulls it back inside in front of her son. "Go on, you can touch it."

The same inquisitive, learning expression that Diana loves about Hunter so much now finds a way on his face once again as he reaches out to touch it, only for it to melt before he has a chance to, leaving the boy devastated as he looks at Diana on the verge of tears "Where did it go, mama? I want some more."

"And there is more outside, we can go play in the snow whenever you're ready." Her words are the only invitation Hunter needed to head straight for the front door without a care in the world or the proper warm clothing until he changes direction towards the kitchen when Diana calls out to him. "Let me rephrase, we can play in the snow when you're done with breakfast and dressed in warm clothing to my liking, understang?"

"Yes, mama."

As soon as he and Trini are dressed, Hunter rushes outside on the icy pathway leading to the backyard when feet slip on unassuming clear patch of ice and launches himself head first into a snowbank despite Diana's warning's and worry as she rushes forward to help him get safe and warm. "Hey there, are you okay? Do you need help?"

"Mister, are you alive? You're bleeding." Diana's voice fades away from Hunter and becomes nothing more than an echoed memory in the back of his mind. His eyes slowly open just to squint at the scorching sun currently barring down on him before the figure that is looking over him comes into focus as a beautiful woman with equally breathtaking brown hair, skin, and eyes, speaking in a Ancient Greek tongue. She looks stunningly powerful riding atop a majestic horse in the middle a vast of desert wasteland, she just isn't the woman of his dreams that Hunter is looking for.

"Who are you? You wouldn't happen to know a woman with purple hair, would you?" Hunter asks the woman offering him a hand up on the horse before he looks down at the river of blood pouring from a fresh wound on his chest brought on by Darksied stabbing him with his own weapon. "What happened to me? Did you hurt me?"

"No, my name is Princess Chay-Ara. I just found you bleeding in the sand there and believed you could use my aid. Please take my hand quickly, my camp is not far from here so we must hurry before the sandstorm behind us fully encompasses us completely." With Shayera's words fresh in his mind, Hunter grabs her hand without hesitation and she helps him onto the horse, then urges the animal to hurry in a race against nature herself. "So, what is your name, stranger?"

"Prince... I think. I truly do not know. Everything is a little foggy for me right now."

He closes his eyes, then a fury of colors and vague people associated with them flash before him. First comes a woman clad in red and blue armor with her brown hair being held up together with golden headband as she holds him like a mother would, then another woman impressively dressed in yellow armor that covers her entire body while she stands alongside a group of five other warriors all dressed in similar yet different colored armor. Lastly, the image of the warriors doesn't leave him as his focus shifts to a woman in green armor before it fades off of her completely and she appears to him as a young woman with eloquent violet colored hair while she makes his heart flutter because of the way she looks like a perfect angel to him, if only he could hold her hand once again.

Chay-Ara quickly takes her eyes off of the blinding sandstorm that fastly enveloping them to see the puzzled, almost frightened expression dominating Hunter's face and she decides to offer the young man comfort by taking his hand briefly before returning to her current goal. "Do not worry, my friend. I'm here to help."

The howling winds of sandstorm and the setting sun outside provide Chay-Ara and Hunter with background noise as she wraps his chest wound from inside her tent, but it doesn't help Hunter get a grip on where he is or what happened to him. From the gear scattered around the tent like assorted pieces of Greek battle armor and weapons along with animal pelts and dry meats and other food for long journeys, Hunter can infer that he is far from home, which makes him hope for the best like always, but prepare himself for the worst.

"What kingdom are you a Prince of?" Chay-Ara's curious eyes don't leave Hunter's blue ones as she wraps his chest wound. "Your arm, I have never seen anything like it. Is it crafted from the same valuable Nth Metal as my mace?" She asks, drawing Hunter's attention to the heavy mace attached to the belt on her waist.

"No, you misunderstand. Prince is my sir name, my full name is Hunter Prince, and my arm was crafted from a different valuable ore from my homeland." Hunter closes his eyes and grunts in pain when a vision of blonde haired queen appears before him. She commands a very regal presence, yet she extends a comforting hand to him like she's welcoming him home. "Where am I? What is the current date or year?" He asks, hoping the woman will understand his meaning.

Now Chay-Ara is the one who wears confusion on her face as she finishes wrapping Hunter up. "I do not take your meaning, Hunter? Are you not one of Zeus's fellow Gods who fell in battle against his delusional son days ago? It's the only reason you could have survived in this harsh environment outside of the Greek empire with the extensive injuries you sustained."

"Ares killed the Gods? I know where I am now and I think I'm going to be ill. Give me a moment, please." Against Chay-Ara's wishes, Hunter stumbles to his feet and makes sure the bandage is tight before he nearly falls again the weight of the truth as tears stream down his face because he misses his family dearly, his mother most of all and while there is no question that he will return to them one day due to the curse of his immortality, he will just have go through many trials of pain before that day, and Hunter isn't sure if he has the willpower to cope with all of them. "Are you saying the year is around 3000 BC?"

"Yes, whatever that means. Are you sure you're alright?" Chay-Ara asks, noticing Hunter's brokenness as she comes close to place a hand on Hunter's shoulder to offer him comfort, but she retracts her hand when he gives a look like he doesn't want to be touched right now, so she studies him instead, more importantly she studies the scars visible on his body and the sadness hidden in his eyes.

The scars covering his body and his metallic arm have their own painful story that her new friend surely doesn't want to tell, but she is more interested in his young eyes. They are the bluest shade of blue she has ever seen, yet they are so full of a secret pain that transcends time and probably has something to do with his scars, which makes Hunter an intriguing mystery, one it would appear she has time to solve. "I am just trying to learn what god allowed you to live such a painful life, so where did you come from, and how did you get here?"

"I only believe in one god with my whole heart and soul, and she would never subject me to this kind of hell, so I will always have faith in her." Hunter gives a brief smile, wiping away his tears. "I am a son of the famed Amazonian warrior women of legend, I come from the royal family, in fact. My mother and her twin sister are the living embodiments of power, grace, and wisdom, only matched by my grandmother who taught all of us so much. My little sister has become quite a fiery warrior in her own right under the teaching of my mother and my wife, an angel with purple hair, and..."

He trails off, his tone transforming from one of endless optimism and hope to one of a heavy sadness upon the realization it will a very long journey before they will make a return to being active people in his life once more. "And, I hope to return to all of them one day, until then, I will carry their wisdom and love in my heart."

Chay-Ara is silent for a long time, taking a moment to understand the weight of his words before she speaks up to offer a story of her own. "I understand your need to return to the ones you love. Before I found you, I was on my way to rescue my husband from a band of mercenaries who captured him after we stole their gold and jewels to have enough funds to begin a new life of deep love that was born from so much war. Now that this sandstorm is in my path, I fear there will not be enough time to save him in time before he is killed tomorrow at sunrise."

Upon hear about her troubles, Hunter quickly gathers what appropriately sized armor he can find in the tent and dresses himself for battle, questioning Chay-Ara as he does so. "What's your husband's name, and where is he being held? In a camp or a small village not far from here, or somewhere else entirely?"

"My husband, Prince Khufu, is being held in a small mercenary camp a day's ride from here, near the town of Ephesus." She says, shocked when Hunter grabs one of her swords and head scarves, then wraps it around his face and attaches a sword to his waist as he heads outside with Chay-Ara following his lead in a very confused manner. "I already told you, there is no way to reach him in time with this storm raging on, so what can you do to save him when I have exhausted all other avenues?"

"I'm going to leap above the storm." Hunter silences himself, looking up the stars as he takes care of how he should speak his next words. "...I was born with certain extraordinary abilities, which means I can leap large distances in a single bound as Clark would say and I can save your husband to give the happy life you deserve, just because I cannot feel the warmth of my loved ones does not mean you should suffer my same unfortunate fate."

Thank the gods for you, Hunter." Her words causes Hunter to nod acceptance of them before he assumes a crouched position to jump off, but Chay-Ara grabs him by the arm before he can. "Halt, I'm coming with you. I just found bleeding in the sand not an hour ago and you're hardly to full strength yet, so you will need some assistance from me, and I want to be there once when rescue my husband."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Hop on and hold on tight." Hunter chuckles, bending down so Shreya can climb on his back, then he closes his eyes so sand doesn't fall into them as he takes off and kicks up sand in his wake with the expectation that he'll have to repeat the process, only to see himself moving forward without reaching the ground. He looks around in shock and sees Shreya holding him under his arms while she flies them toward their destination with the help of the giant hawk wings sprouting from the shoulder blades on her back.

Hunter stares at her in pure shock and awe as he is able to come to a collusion about who she truly is. "You're Thanagarian, from the world of hawks! My mother told me about the legend of your world when I was a child. I also believe your people's flight adaptation would be extremely useful in life, it would certainly help me in bumper to bumper traffic."

"You are not the only one born with extraordinary gifts, Hunter." Chay-Ara chuckles in appreciation at Hunter's childlike wonder of her legend. "Your talk of this whole other world that you call home amuses me greatly, my friend. I have a feeling like our partnership will be beautiful."

Hunter begins to formulate a strategic plan of attack in his mind once they silently land in the hilly brush patch overlooking the camp, his eyes scan over the large number of unassuming mercenaries asleep under the moonlight while he thinks of ways to incapacitate them peacefully using the cover of darkness as an ally until Chay-Ara brandishes her mace and unleashes her wings before flying towards the enemies with a vicious battle cry, throwing Hunter's plan out of the window as he makes his presence known to help her.

The world around Hunter seems to slow down to be in time with his calm breathing and heartbeat as he engages the first wave of mercenaries using their momentary shock at his metal to pick up two of them by their throats and tosses them into the three other mercenaries surrounding him with their bows drawn before they have a chance make contact with him.

Chay-Ara has an easier time dispatching the mercenaries than Hunter due to her ability to blind them with her falling hawk feathers right before she flies by and caves their heads in with her mace without letting herself be known by anyone until it's too late. Her complete domination of the battlefield presents Hunter with an opportunity to search of Chay-Ara's husband while being unnoticed by those who are still alive, which aren't many, but that narrows people down and Hunter is able to find a beaten and bruised shirtless olive-skinned man with an scraggily beard being held with his hands tied up to a post right next to few jugs of oil in the largest tent at the center of camp.

"You wouldn't happen to be Prince Khufu, would you? Princess Chay-Ara are hear to rescue you." Hunter grabs a jug of water to give Khufu a drink, then he cuts the rope holding him and helps the weaker man stand as Chay-Ara screams before a spray of blood lands across the tent's entrance flap, followed by the sound of another body falling while they slowly walk outside to meet her. "Don't pay much attention to her fury, she can't wait to see you."

Prince Khufu's heart swells way beyond love when he is reunited with his princess, she may be drenched in blood and sweat to everyone else, to him, she is beautiful beyond words he can express right now. he gathers enough strength within himself to let go of Hunter before stumbling in Chay-Ara's arms weakly when he tries reaching her, but that doesn't matter because they are together again and Khufu lets it be known by kissing his beloved like no one is watching. "Oh, my princess. Why did you cause all this havoc just to save me?"

"Only the best and most entertaining for you, my love." She responds with a hearty chuckle and loving smile on her lips before they are met by another kiss. They keep kissing until Chay-Ara takes a momentary break to introduce Khufu to the prefect godly stranger who saved him and made their reunion a possibility. "Oh I almost forgot to introduce my new ally, this is my friend, Hunter. Say hello, Hunter."

"Hello Hunter. "A rare joking smirk can be found on Hunter face when the lovebirds separate from kissing and stare at him in confusion. "Sorry for ruining your moment there with a dumb sarcastic joke from my time, there will be plenty of time for those once we're finished here. Shall we get Khufu to safety?"

Hunter can't help but give a smile at the joyous moment between reunited lovers before his happy expression slowly fades into a deep sadness that forces him to step away for a moment to himself as he closes his eyes to remember his family once again, he can almost feel Diana's comfortable and guiding hand on his shoulder, followed by one of Trini's rare and tiny laughs in his ears, lastly, the smell Lorena's lavender perfume in the air. The aroma intoxicates him with love and hope that he will see them again, but hope only gets him so far, no, he must use the willpower within him to survive, not through all the years until he arrives in 2024, but to survive one step, breath, and day at a time. However long the journey home takes, he must survive to see its end.

The lovebirds' reunion is short-lived, however. In all of the mercenaries Chay-Ara has killed, there is one who survived the conflict long enough to fatally shoot an arrow into her abdomen while her back is turned away, if wasn't for Khufu seeing what's about to happen before he switches positions with Chay-Ara so he takes the killing shot in her place, drawing Hunter's attention to the shooter.

The Prince boy moves swiftly to kill the final mercenary by picking a nearby discarded spear and throwing it into his mouth while it's agape in shock of Hunter's speed, then the adrenaline slowly his system and looks back at Chay-Ara wailing to the sky for answers as she cradles a dead Khufu in her arms. Hunter is able to hide his shock behind a stoic expression as his heart is ravaged by another loss. He had experienced loss before when he failed to rescue Steve Trevor from Purgatory, or when Etta Candy passed away from old age shortly after their first meeting, but he knows he will experience incalculable amounts of loss before his journey ends, and he can't begin to handle that fact even though he must learn.

He is very careful of how he takes his next move, trying not to further upset Chay-Ara when he places a gentle hand on her shoulder and speaks as delicately as he can. Luckily, that's a family specialty taught by Hippolyta. "Chay-Ara, I understand what you're feeling now, more than you know, but we will make sure Khufu is remembered with a proper burial. I promise you."

Chay-Ara is silent for a long time as she cradles her husband's body and recites a prayer in Coptic for him to have a safe journey into the afterlife, the silence almost frightening Hunter until she turns with anger as her only present emotion while the tears slowly dry on her face. "No, we must burn his body instead. The Thanagarian people do not just use Nth Metal to craft our weapons, we are also born with it inside our bodies, giving us the flight abilities of a hawk and the ability of reincarnation once our bodies decay. The power could lead the world to a dictatorial ruin if the wrong hands were able to harvest Khufu's metal."

"Understood, I will make preparations." Hunter leaves Chay-Ara alone with her husband as he gets right to work using his Amazonian survival training to tear down the camp and gather every scarp of wood he can find along the way so he can build a funeral pyre, then he grabs the oil jars and pours its contents in the area around the unlit wood before he walks to collect Khufu's body from his grieving wife.

Knowing it's time to say goodbye, Chay-Ara waves Hunter away in favor carrying Khufu's body to the pyre herself before she kisses his forehead one last time, then she steps away and allowing Hunter to light the pyre with a torch once she gives a nod of consent. The two warriors stand very close to one another in silence, not moving, barely breathing, just existing despite the presence of death surrounding them.

They watch the pyre until the last embers burn out into the night sky, where Hunter spots the North Star, he would recognize the star and its significance to lead the lost home because of his love of astronomy and he makes a silent prayer that the star will lead Chay-Ara back to her husband in the next life in the same he hopes it will lead him back to his family someday. While Hunter finishes his payer, Chay-Ara takes a deep breath to further process her grief before she turns to Hunter ready to help him in the same way he helped her. "My husband is gone and while we found a home in one another, that still does not solve your problem. So where is home for you?"

It's a question that Hunter has a simple one-word answer to, but he isn't sure if can bring himself to say her name out of fear of having a heavy emotional breakdown. He has always felt at home with the women of his family at his side, Diana most of all, Hunter always sought comfort in his mother's strong arms until the day she had to send him away at 18. From then on, their relationship was strained by distance and circumstance to never be like it was when he was younger because the world had changed him from Diana's soft-hearted little Wonder Boy into a man with a more hardened soul who never truly allowed himself to feel peace because he is always frightened of the next fight.

In response, Hunters sighs heavily and hangs his head in shame. "What if true my home no longer exists? At least not in the way I want it to be? What if it won't for a long time and I must go on a long odyssey in order to return home?"

"I can reincarnate, remember? So I will be with you for every single step." Chay-Ara says, taking Hunter's hand down at his side and drawing his attention to their hands as an instant brother-sister bond is born from tragedy. "The only question that remains is, where do we go from here?"

Hunter doesn't answer her immediately. Instead, he is focused on the Temple of Artemis far away in the distance behind Chay-Ara. If his timing is correct then Hunter knows what be done now, he must light The Great Warning Fire to draw focus Ares's away from the Amazons so they can hide themselves from the world. "Our next move is closer than you might think."

The dynamic duo finds themselves alone when they land at the temple, and Hunter is so completely in awe of the magnificent structure as it appears in its heyday instead of how it has been weathered by time like it was when Diana brought him here as a child in the present. Chay-Ara watches Hunter with curiosity and can't help but match his childlike wonder as they examine the stone carvings on the columns. They are so enraptured by the temple that Chay-Ara almost forgets to pull Hunter into the bushes to be hidden when she discovers they are no longer alone as two unknown women have taken their same path.

"My God, it can't be them." Hunter's tone is barely above a whisper, but loud enough for Chay-Ara and wonder what he means as they watch Queen Hippolyta and her sister Antiope approach the temple with Hippolyta carrying twin bassinets in each arm while Antiope carries a torch to light the flame.

"My Queen, are you sure it is wise to go into hiding so soon after the gods fell?" Antiope asks, slowly walking over to the flame pit. "Why not just send a legion of our best warriors to strike Ares down while he is a weakened state? If we do not, we know it will only be a matter of time before Ares regains his full strength and comes after your twin daughters."

"No, Antiope! Too much death and blood already blankets the world, we should not add to the carnage. Now, we hide ourselves away and hope humanity can build themselves anew, until then, we will watch our own people prosper in their wake, including my daughters." Hippolitya's tone is laced with exceptional love for her twin girls as she lays the bassinets down and touches each of her daughters' cheeks lovingly. "My children may never know who they truly are, but that will be enough for me. To me, they are the lights of my life. My beautiful Cassandra and Diana."

Hunter's heartrates skyrockets once he hears his mother's name uttered on his grandmother's lips as he stays crouched in the bushes, wondering if he should reveal himself, but he knows his entrance will only with swords at his neck so he repositions his stance and accidently steps on a small branch, causing the twins to wail in fear of the unknown induvial before Antiope comes to her defense with a sword while Hippolyta tries everything to calm her daughters.

"Who is there?! Show yourself now!" Hippolyta demands, standing behind Antiope while she holds the twins protectively. Chay-Ara responds by brandishing her mace from the bushes ready to attack until Hunter blocks from her moving with his solid metal arm before he shifts his mixed gaze in Hippolyta's direction. Finally, their shared blue eyes meet through the slow sunrise and she is able to get a good look at the boy as she reads his gentle and heartfelt expression that says they mean the other warriors no harm, convincing her to tell Antiope to stand down. "It must have been a deer. Please, light the flame, we must leave."

Antiope puts her sword away as Hippolyta picks up the twins, then they light the flame and leave the temple without another word spoken between them. Hunter sighs in relief once he sees the light away from the torch recede away, then he walks out of the bushes and sits down on the ground to watch the flame burn completely lost in his own thoughts after the momentous event he just witnessed. He wants to take time to process everything, but Chay-Ara doesn't allow him to when she comes out of the bushes with questions of her own.

"What did you mean when you whispered 'it can't be them?' Do you know who they are? If so, why didn't you show yourself and seek refuge from them for the time being until you can be with your family in your present?" She asks, noticing the expression of pure shock on Hunter's face.

"They are my family." Hunter responds with a heavy sigh of regret for not doing as she suggested because it would be so much easier than the alternative of living through the slow hell that is time. That's certainly the option Hunter prefers, but he knows life has never been so kind to him. "The two women are my grandmother and my great aunt respectively, they're two of the greatest warriors in our history and even if I was able to explain who I am before they kill me, my presence among the Amazons would eventually raise questions about the Demigod twin girls you saw in the bassinets, questions my grandmother would take to the grave if given the chance. Yes, it would easier for me to seek refuge with my people, but in order to fully gain their trust, I must travel home the long way around."

"Then we better begin if me must the long way around." Chay-Ara wears a smile as her wings sprout from her back before she offers Hunter a hand up. "You know what that means right? If we have go though all of human history, there's also a possibility of changing it with our involvement, are you ready for that?"

"As I'll ever be." Hunter matches her smile when he accepts her hand before she lifts both of them off towards their next great adventure. "Y'know, all of this walking through history we are going to do reminds me of a quote from Sappho, a Greek poet I learned about during my time under my mother's tutelage. You may forget, but let me tell you this: someone in some future time will remember us."

Except no one remembers Hunter through the centuries he and Chay-Ara slowly walk the earth taking different names and living different lives, and that's the way he prefers to be thought of. As the years crawl on into decades, Hunter finds himself adopting more of his mother's mindset of operating as a hero from the shadows and fighting tirelessly in too many wars that he feels as if he is breathing in the ash of death at every turn, yet he continues to fight because maybe with his timely intervention, a few more of his fellow solders will have a chance to return home to their loved ones.

During all that time, Hunter's respect for his grandmother's fair and honest role of queen over the Amazons remains endless while he refuses to serve the agendas of empires as he witnesses those same empires that were built over centuries then be burned to ash in a single day. All the while the reincarnations of  Chay-Ara and Khufu seek fame and riches in their quest to reconnect with one another through time.

One of first lives Hunter remembers is being the squire to British knight Brian Kent, one of Khufu's future lives as he courted Chay-Ara's incarnation Celia Penbrook during the 5th century, then Hunter was the personal guard to English Noblewoman, Kenna Oliver as she fell in love with a lowly German blacksmith, Koenrad Von Grimm on a vacation to the country in the 14th century. Finally, a chance arrives for Hunter to travel by ship to the early American colony of Virginia under the command of Khufu's 16th century incarceration of John Smith. He had good laugh at that fact, even if his moments of levity are few and far between.

 From afar, a bystander would be remiss in thinking that Hunter's life protecting the two hawk people is full of adventure and without any problems, but more often than not, Hunter has to play the role of marriage counselor whenever the two hawks come at one another with their weapons drawn. Which is especially taxing when he can only recall the joyous experiences of his own marriage instead of Lorena being a constant and exceptionally bright light in his life just like she always has been an angel with purple hair.

* * *

1899 - Smallville, Kansas.

"I miss you, babe, and I know you're tired of this world and its seemingly endless war, but your work isn't done yet. Lorena's commanding, yet loving tone whispers in Hunter's ears , followed by the lavender scent of her lipstick very close to his own lips, forcing him awake with a violent jolt of energy before he finds himself in a dark bedroom devoid of all light except for the small of sunlight peeking through the closed curtains.

Hunter's whispered tone is one of broken vulnerability as he lays back on his bed and takes a few calming breathes, even if he knows he will never truly be calm until he is alongside his wife and the rest of his family once again. Lorena was often his lovely escape into the world of normalcy and peace, but without her, he has a feeling that chaos and strife will be constant companions to him in this harsh world until he is able to return to her. For now, Hunter is only left with a ever pleasant memory of her love to fall back on. "I miss you, too, Rena..."

He stays in bed for another minute or two, wondering if he has the willpower to start his day as the town doctor at a reasonable hour after a particularly gruesome and monstrous Civil War left him emotionally drained, making it difficult for him to remember the good man he used to be. It's impossible for him to forget Diana, though, her infectious smile and laugh that is capable of lighting up any room, the warm hug she would give him and her other children whenever he was lost. He could truly use one of her hugs right now when it is especially hard for him to remember the optimistic, wide-eyed teenager who left on that sailboat at 18, or even the soft hearted baby boy that Diana gave birth to all those years ago.

His thoughts are forced to be quiet once he hears a knock on the door of his one room apartment, followed by a seven year old boy speaking on the other side. "Jim, I mean, Dr. Peyton, my parents are fighting again with their pistols drawn on one another, and the town sent me to get you before things turn bloody."

"I'll be right there, Hector. Just try to keep everyone calm and keep your parents as far away from each other as you can." Hunter rubs his eyes tiredly as he puts cowboy boots on over his blue jeans, then he stands from his bed towards the closet to dress the rest of himself. In the years since he settled in Smallville and took another new name, Hunter has become a bit of a recluse, only being seen by the people during his practice's office hours and during a town meeting. He sighs as he knows this time will be the ladder because the town likes to meet whenever the Hawks decide to go at it.

Hunter's tiredness is present in his walking pace as he stumbles out of his apartment through the door leading to the balcony above his office before he vaults the wooden rail and clangs his metal arm and the brace on his other arm together to produce a concussive blast that causes the townspeople to scatter away from each other, the Hawks among them. Hunter sighs again once he stands up in between the couple in the same way their son described, God, he hates having guns pointed at him before he's had his morning coffee.

"Doesn't anyone have anything better to do with their time? We still have a town to run here." Hunter's words spur the remaining townspeople back to business, only leaving Hector standing off to the side to watch as Hunter shows no fear even with two guns pointed at his face. "Now, that just leaves you two. I feel like this same situation happens every century or so, but why don't you guys tell me what's wrong this time?"

Katherine Manser is first to start the screaming match while she still has her gun pointed at her centuries old husband. "Nothing is wrong, Hunter. Everything is as it should be, or at least things will be that way once I kill my husband for even suggesting I stay home to care for the household while he teaches our son in his own way. All I want to do is learn about the world alongside Hector in that new school you and Mayor Ross built for the town! Is that so terrible, Hannibal?!"

"There's nothing you or the boy needs to learn that I can't teach you myself, you two don't need a stupid school to teach you how the worlds works and you if won't see that, then I  will teach it to Hector myself, without you!" Hunter knows the threat must be taken seriously when both Hawks cock their six-shooters, so he steps in between them more forcefully as the twelve bullets are fired upon him from both sides.

On a good day, Hunter is able to masterfully deflect the barrage of bullets safely using Diana's teachings and the Amazonian metal on both of his wrists, but long nights at the office combined with Hunter's general weariness of conflict has made him somewhat neglect his training so he is brought to his knees in the slightest of pain as he absorbs the bullets into his clothes. He is still able to outclass every warrior he comes across, but even he has an off day, Hunter just wishes didn't have so many of them in a row.

The Hawks wear fear on their faces while they watch flattened bullets pour of Hunter's muscled physique through the holes in his clothes as he slowly regains a standing position between them with an expression of heavy annoyance on his own face, the weariness growing ever more apparent in his blue eyes, yet he doesn't react with rage. Instead, he snatches the guns from the Hawks' hands and gives them a glare to dissuade them from grabbing them again.

"You two can try taking these guns and shooting me again, but I will keep standing here regardless, that is the curse of an immortal. Alternativity, you could humor me by sitting down and talking like human beings... please." Hunter's tone remains vulnerable and his eyes are wet with welling tears because he is truly tired of this fight as digs into his pocket for money to give to Katherine. "Take this and order some drinks in the saloon, a glass of milk for Hector, then the three of you need to talk. I'll give you some talking points in the fact that I built the school for everyone to learn something new, whoever they are. So I see no reason as to why Hector and Katherine can't learn reading, writing, and mathematics while you, Hannibal, teach all of things that school does not."

A persuading glare is constant on Hunter's face until the Hawks shake hands in agreement to work things out before they gather up Hector and walk towards the saloon, only for the young boy to notice when a man fall off his horse near the town line. "Oh, my gosh, Dr. Peyton, Someone's hurt!"

Hunter slips into his role as a doctor as he reaches the man in a matter of seconds after he fell, the heartrate on his wrist is faint, his old and wrinkled skin is sweaty and pale, Hunter's gut would guess he passed out from exhaustion, but he won't be able to diagnosis fully until the man is turned onto his back. It's only once Hunter does so and removes the gray cowboy hat from his head, that he recognizes the man by the distinctive scar on the right side of his face. "Jonah Hex?"

"You know this man?" Katherine asks, quickly grabbing the man's hat and following Hunter and opening the door to his medical office when he hoists the man over his shoulder and carries him inside as Hannibal leads Hector to the safety of the saloon.

"Only by reputation. He was a legend of the Old West before the Old West began to end." Hunter doesn't turn around to address Katherine. Instead, his entire focus is on Jonah once he places the man in an observation chair before he thoroughly dunks his hands in a bowl of water to wash them clean. "Go to your family, talk things out, I'll send for you if I need help."

Katherine takes that as her que to leave as Hunter begins his work by applying a cool cloth to Jonah's forehead to prevent a fever and cool down his temperature. That sudden change to Jonah's body must have been one he didn't like because he soon wakes, then he grunts in pain as he draws his dual Colt Peacemaker Revolvers straight at the beard on Hunter's face. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm Dr. Peyton of Smallville, Kansas, I found you collapsed outside. I'd suggest putting away your guns if you want me to save you, because we're gonna loose time if I have pick myself off the floor before dealing with you." Hunter responds calmly, using the information Jonah inadvertently gave to help him diagnosis what's wrong. "If you're sassing me, that means your verbal functions are normal, and if you're struggling to raise your guns that means something is wrong with the muscles in your arms. Can you tell me what's happened?"

"Are you sure you're a doctor? You look barely old enough to drink, and most doctors ask how I got the scar on my face once they see me for the first time." Jonah is very skeptical of Hunter after taking him at face value due to his immortally young outward appearance.

"I'm not most doctors. I'm young, but my years of extensive experience speak for themselves, and I don't get sick or injured so I was a clear choice for this town's doctor. Now, what are you gonna do, Jonah?"

Seeing no other options for help, Jonah hesitantly puts his guns away, then removes his large gray duster coat before open his black button-up shirt to reveal what's slowly fatally poisoning him. Hunter has to fight the urge to hurl he gets a look at the two infested holes in the left shoulder and right forearm respectively where bullets once burrowed their way into his weathered body. The bullets were removed, but very crudely and not in time to prevent a led poising that has slowly worked its way in a diagonal line straight to the heart. Now, it's progressed in such a way that the poison appears to be centimeters away from killing him.

The shocked silence over this pressing matter is palpable and it frightens Jonah so much so that he speaks up in his place in order to get answers for his condition, yet his tone remains calm. "That bad, huh? How long to do I have left?' 

Hunter isn't sure how to respond in the face of death, even if it's someone else's. Breaking difficult news was apart of his training to become a doctor, but breaking such news never gets easier for him and this is no exception. He gives a grave nod, allowing Jonah a chance to see the immense pain in his eyes.  "Who would do this to you?" He asks while looking over the very small pieces of jagged metal still imbedded in the holes.

Jonah sits back in his chair, taking in a labored breath. "Have you heard of the Royal Flush Gang?"

Hunter nods. Truthfully, he's had skirmishes with the gang numerous times, ever since they rose to infamy through their terrorization of a country that was trying to rebuild itself after war, but life and circumstance was presented as a constant obstacle in his way time and time again. Now it appears that life has finally given him the perfect chance to end the gang once and for all as he listens to Jonah go on with his story.

"The gang had kidnapped a girl and I was hired to rescue her by a third party representing the girl's wealthily and powerful industrial father. I heard the Gang was a shadow of its former self, so I took the large sum of money I was paid upfront and expected this to be an easy job, that was three months ago. They jumped my old bones outside their large cave hideout hidden 30 miles west from here, they shot me and threw me in a separate cage where I would watch helplessly as she prayed for death right before the men had their way with the girl every day, until they let me go to stumble to a horse yesterday and ride into the nearest town to serve a warning to all folk not to cross the gang again."

Jonah has spent his roughish life of adventure being detached and stoic towards anyone who's had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting him and one expect him to react that way when faced with his imminent death, but he is remorseful and sorrowful while sitting in Hunter's office, not towards himself, but the young lady he had to leave behind. "I should've stayed behind in the that cave and fought to free that girl with everything I had left to give. Now, she is going to die with an unanswered prayer for salvation on her bloody lips her father is going to, in his words, salt the land of the West and rain hellfire upon the people in her wake. I'm sorry, Doc, grab your things and everyone you can, this town will likely be gone by morning."

"What if I slipped into the camp, dealt with the gang, rescued the girl and brought her to her father so he won't decimate the good folks of this town?" The words absentmindedly fall out of Hunter's mouth before he catch them, but they are still no less true and they cause Jonah's expression to grow confused and skeptical until Hunter speaks up to explain. "I already told you, Jonah, I'm not most doctors. And with you in this condition, I have to help. Please, I can't let her die knowing I could've saved her."

"Fine, I'm gonna be dead soon anyway, I just pray you and that girl won't soon join me. Take my coat, guns and hat so you can fool the gang into thinking you belong there, I managed to map out a route from my employer to the cave where I found the girl before getting captured." Jonah sighs, barely able to argue with the young doctor or keep his eyes open for much longer, so he concedes to this suicide mission by placing his cowboy hat on Hunter's head in a ceremonial passing of the torch, then he stares out of a window in Hunter's office as if he's looking for something the other man can't see. "Where do you think is the best place to be buried so I look down and see that my daughter Jenny and my wife will be okay?"

The question comes as a shock to Hunter. Even though he has lived for thousands of years by this time and chose a profession where death is a constant, he is still not ready to feel the pain of loss yet again and he doubts he will ever be, but he answers Jonah's question as he points outside to the plentiful apple tree on a grassy hill overlooking his office. "I always found comfort sitting underneath that tree. On the rare slow days when I have free time, I would take a book and read outside, or I would just sit to contemplate life whenever I felt lost and alone."

"Then that's where I'll be, too. At least we can sort things out together as I spend my afterlife feeling sorry for everything I did in life and everything I failed to do." Jonah is silent for a long moment, contemplating his own life after hearing Hunter's words and Hunter wants to offer him comfort, but he knows the older man isn't that sort of man to wear his heart on his sleeve. So Hunter stands up to leave in order to give him the peace until Jonah weakly reaches out for his hand. "Wait, Dr. Peyton, can you stay with me for a while, at least until the time comes 'round? I'm a very scared old man who doesn't want to die alone."

Hunter nods, feeling as if he should tell Jonah his true name, but he knows that doing so won't matter to the man his final moments, so he sits down in silence and watches a small measure of peace come back to old, scarred cowboy. "Thank you, young man. You're very kind, I've lived longer than I should have and I know firsthand that your kindness will kill you in this cruel world. You know that too, right?

"Maybe so, but honestly, that wouldn't be a bad way to go, so I will carry on preaching kindness instead of hate in the hopes of someone coming along to show me the greatest kindness life has to show us in the end."

"What's that?" Jonah asks, even though he doesn't actively show it with his actions, he is enthralled by the young man and his words of peace. 

"Mercy."

* * *

One would expect the town of Smallville to be like its namesake when it comes to Friday night entertainment, but that's when the town proves itself to be the contrary as townsfolk and workers from the surrounding farms all come to the saloon to party. Some choose to challenge one another in arm wrestling contests and other bouts of strength, some choose to dance with their partners thanks to the lively music provided by the piano player or a live band, and some choose to simply drink in a comfortable silence after a hard week's work of making sure they survive another season.

Unfortunately Hunter is in the final group as he drinks alone at a table in back of the saloon and occasionally looks up with a smile to see the Hawks slow dancing lovingly like their fight hadn't taken place at all, but Hunter's only thoughts are on Jonah's belongings in front of him that were passed to him on the occasion of his death an hour ago. Now, Hunter finds himself unable to look away from Jonah's hat because he knows it's taunting, no, daring him to go after that helpless girl and he might have to listen if he keeps drinking this bottle of whiskey.

He never set out of this journey through time to solve every world problem or save everyone because he knows doing so would be an herculean impossibility, that is one of the first and most difficult lessons Diana taught him, but like his mother, Hunter can't bare to see innocents hurt while those responsible go on unpunished for their crimes. He sighs, knowing that in order to seek out wrongdoings, he must return to a world of war while his own heart is at peace.

With his made up, Hunter downs the rest of his drink before standing up to fix Jonah's gun belt to his waist and put the duster coat around his torso over his newly clean shirt. Lastly, he places Jonah's hat on his head in the same manner he had done so the first time as he walks out of the saloon hoping to make a unceremonious exit from the festivities, only for his oldest and dearest friend notices him as she concludes another dance with her husband.

"Before we begin the next dance, can you make sure Hector is still tucked in bed? I need thank Hunter for intervening today." Hannibal nods politely to Katherine's request and heads to one of the room upstairs to check on his son while she walks outside to see Hunter about to enter the gunsmith from across the road.

He manages to catch the owner as he seconds away from closing for night, much to the owner's surprise. "Wow, Dr. Peyton, I think it's the first time I've seen you in here. I hate to be that guy, but can we make this quick? I was about to join the party."

"Yes, I won't take up too much of your time. I was just wondering if you had ammunition for these?" Hunter asks, removing the Peacemakers from their holsters and placing them on the counter for the owner to examine with a whistle of appreciation as Hunter spots a combat knife displayed on the wall in front of him. "What's that?"

"Oh, it's a 1861 Confederate Bowie Knife. I found it in perfect condition while exploring an abandoned plantation house some years back, it's yours, if you want it." The owner says, presenting the weapon to Hunter, along with all of ammo he needs for his guns.

"I'll take everything. Thank you." Hunter doesn't allow his true indentations to be know as he lays a large sum of money on the counter as he loads the Peacemakers and places the rest of the bullets on his gun belt before tucking the knife up his sleeve and walking out until the owner calls back to him.

"Forgive me if I'm prying, but where is a doctor like you going with weapons like these?"

"House call." Hunter gives a charming smile as he walks out the door, only for that smile to slowly disappear into an expression of deep study as Hunter looks at the route drawn on the map he found in the duster's pocket on the way over to Jonah's snow white horse with an apple in his hand. Once Hunter clearly pictures the route in his mind, he puts the map away and feeds the apple to the horse, gently caressing her equally white mane as he speaks in a soft whisper. "Hey girl, I don't know you and you don't know me, but I knew your last owner in his most vulnerable final moments and he wanted me to do something before passing on, something I hope you can help me with. What do you say? One last ride, you and me?"

"Like I haven't heard that before, many, many times, and it still remains to be proven as true." Katherine's sudden voice behind him causes Hunter to pull a gun on her as she gives a playful wave before the smile on her face transforms into a hidden snicker once she spots Hunter's attire. "Where are you going, cowboy?"

"You should be dancing, Kathy, not concerning yourself with me after making good marital progress with Hannibal." Hunter easily deflects the question, but he knows he won't be able to keep that up for long. His friendship with Chay-Ara hasn't lasted lifetimes without either picking up quirks about the other, including how she has a way of pestering the truth out of him. "If you must know, I'm going on a small job. I should be back by morning."

"I've heard that before too, Hunter. Right before you joined my husband as Lancelot of his Roundtable to kill a dragon for all the gold and glory the realm had to offer."

"It's never about glory for me!" Hunter snaps at Katherine suddenly, but she shows no fear in the face of his godly rage. "It's about doing what needs to be done in order to protect the innocent when no one else will! I never believed dragons were real, but I still rose my sword against that monster when he threatened to burn the kingdom, and now, I must pick up my weapons once again and save a woman to stop another monster from burning everything we've built, and you have to let me go, please."

"Jonah didn't make it, did he?" Katherine asks, sadly realizing why Hunter is now wearing Jonah's clothes. Hunter just shakes his head without turning around to face her as he prepares the horse to ride. "I'm so sorry, Hunter, I know you never enjoy loosing anyone.  I'll inform the mayor to make funeral preparations in the morning."

All of Hunter's talk of rescuing a woman makes Katherine wonder if she is the woman Hunter speaks of in his very literal dreams. "And this woman you're setting out to rescue, is she the same woman I hear you mumble about in your sleep when I pass your room in the saloon every morning? Your angel with purple hair?"

Hunter visibly flinches at the question on the outside while his heart tears itself apart on the inside. He hadn't realized he was subconscious thinking of Lorena like he had this morning, because the mere thought of her makes Hunter's heart ache with longing and beg to feel her kiss with every fiber of his being, and makes everything more heartbreaking when the pleasant dreams disappear into the letdown that is reality.

The silence between the two remans present while Hunter mounts the horse and grabs the reins with both hands until he feels a need to say something to Katherine in case he doesn't come back as he prepares to ride off in the direction of the quickly setting sun. "No, the woman isn't her. I'm never that lucky and the world is never that kind."

Despite his best intentions to focus on his mission, Hunter can't help it if his mind wanders back to Lorena as he rides to the gang's camp, but it isn't difficult to see why when she is embedded his very soul like Diana and his Amazonian heritage before her, so much so that Hunter finds it difficult to focus unless he closes his eyes and listens to the horse's hoof beats on the dirt until a comfortable rhythm is reestablished, but he knows it won't be enough. As long as Lorena's bright smile is ingrained in his head, this temporary peace he feels will never be enough.

Finally, Hunter knows he is getting closer to the camp when the horse becomes more and more spooked the closer they ride to the camp, probably due the horse treading such familiar and dangerous ground, but that doesn't deter Hunter, only reinforces why this gang needs to be stopped even more. Once the camp is in sight, Hunter grabs a spyglass from the saddlebag and dismounts before sending the horse away, then he kneels down in the hidden brush to look at the target and see that Jonah was wrong about the gang being in small numbers. He counts seven people resting by the fire, maybe there's more inside the cave behind them, but that won't matter because this is going to be easy.

After coming up a plan, Hunter uses the time it takes to walk down to the camp to come up with cover by coating his clothes in a layer of dirt and ruffle his hair to pass a drunk with a southern American accent, luckily, that won't be too hard with the whiskey on his breath as he comes out of the bushes and shows no fear with a number of guns instantly being pointed in his face. "Whoa, I think I lost my horse somewhere, and my way to the bar. Can you help me?"

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Asks a man with the Jack of Hearts playing card in the brim of his hat, such is the way with the rest of the gang members.

"Who are any of us, partner, really? Where do any of us really come from?" Hunter begins to systematically take out the gang by playfully, but intentionally slaps the Ace of Clubs gang member with his godly strength when he tries to force Hunter out of the camp, leading Hunter to fake surprise when the man lands knocked out in the dirt. "Whoa, you gotta try harder to hold your liquor."

"He's not the only one. Sit down and drink this." Jack grabs Hunter's hand and sits him down before pouring him a cup of coffee from the kettle that's been brewing on the fire, much to dismay of his companions, who all give a dirty glare as he hands Hunter the cup. "What?"

Another gang member wearing the Joker Card speaks up and unknowingly provides Hunter with crucial information. "With all the problems this gang has encountered over the last few months, do you think taking in a stray is a good idea? What happens when our King and this generals comes out of his cave and sees this guy after they're done bedding the New Queen?"

"Man, you know as well as I that this gang is over. Our King is a fool with cheap tricks and we're all fools for following him for this long. Soon, we've gotta our own way because this is over." The two men stare each other down in silence until the Joker backs down once he realizes his friend is right, then the same man who offered Hunter coffee in the first place asks him an interesting question when seeing Hunter wearing Jonah's clothes. "Have we met before? You look familiar."

"I should." Hunter says, speaking in his normal Amazonian accent while finishing his coffee and putting the cup down before sneakily removing one of his Peacemakers from its holsters down at his side as he knows a fight is coming. "The man who once wore these garments was killed in my presence a day ago, I was given these clothes upon his death. The great Jonah Hex!"

"I'm surprised someone managed to do the coot in." Joker says, sharing the gang's surprised and impressed expression of the feats of this unknown indivaul." So, did you finally kill that bastard?"

"No, you did."

Before anyone can react, Hunter uses the gang's temporary trust in him to draw the knife from his sleeve and throw directly into the Joker's neck at such an angle that he shoots another gang member in the head as he goes down, then Hunter picks a man and tosses him against a nearby tree, breaking his neck on impact as Hunter shoots two more people in the head before he quickly removes the knife from Joker's neck and throws it into Jack's hand to stop him from escaping until Hunter has a chance to get answers.

He comes close to the man with a remorseful yet determined expression that says he'll do what's necessary to complete the mission. "I really didn't enjoy doing that, so I suggest answering my question if you want to save yourself further pain. This girl you've captured as the queen, where is she?"

Three silver bullets go through the man's head before he has a chance to answer, revealing the three men who come running out of the cave behind him with their smoking pistols drawn. It's clear they are the leaders of the gang from the King playing cards in their hats, but to Hunter, they are his next targets. Hunter quickly preforms a dodge roll when they fire at him, then he runs up the trunk of a tree and uses his own momentum to jump backwards and kick the person standing on the left directly into the person on the right while the man in the middle manages to escape back to the safety of the cave while Hunter is distracted.

The last king uses every dirty trick at his disposal to kill Hunter as he runs through the cave to try and get to safety, he fires the remaining bullets in his gun at Hunter's head when all they do is bounce off him, then he smashes gas lanterns to try burning him to a crisp, only Hunter just walks through the fire as if nothing happened at all, he even fires a cannon ball at his enemy, which Hunter easily catches and crushes in his hand as he continues stalking towards the king with a special type of rage that only a god is capable of conveying with just a glare.

In an ironic twist of fate, the gang leader ends up cowering in fear against the iron cage of the very woman he kept enslaved for months, and Hunter is seconds away from striking him down until the woman in the cage manages to position herself in such a way that she is able to slip her athletic legs through the bars and strangle every ounce of life out of the would-be-king until the man turns purple before he or Hunter can react, shocking Hunter, who never expected this woman to be so vicious and causing him to shift how he approaches her.

Hunter is only able to get a closer look at the woman once he effortlessly rips the cage door off and tosses it away, then his eyes widen at the fact that this mysterious woman has a striking resemblance to Lorena. Her black hair may be matted with twigs, but it's beautifully similar to Lorena's undercut, the olive skin on her bare, toned body looks as if it has been kissed by the sun, her alluring brown eyes have a way of daring Hunter to come closer, which he is helpless to do anything except obey.

The only aspect of her that's throws Hunter for a loop is when she speaks fluent Russian as she allows Hunter to unlock her shackles and cover her body with his large coat. "Who are you? Are the angel I spent so many nights in this hell praying for?"

"No, I'm the skilled doctor who found our mutual friend, Jonah Hex in his final hours and I helped him pass on to a world kinder  than this one. My name is Hunter, what's yours?" 

"Nyssa. Thank you, Hunter, I thought I'd die alone in this cave." The woman responds to Hunter's question in a thankful and friendly tone, then swiftly kicks and spits on the face of her captor in the same breath before her expression turns mournful. "It's a shame about Jonah, though, the harrowing many tales of his youth kept me entertained during the time I spent in this cage. I would have loved to thank him in the end."

"I think he would've liked that, too." Hunter gives a warm smile as he takes his hat off and places it on Nyssa's head while they walk towards the cave's exit. "Here, this'll shield your eyes until they adjust to outside light over the time it takes for us to ride to your father."

"My father hired Jonah and you to find me?" Nyssa chuckles bitterly and her smile slowly disappears into deep frown with the slightest hint of fear behind her calm eyes, which Hunter doesn't see as he whistles sharply for his horse to return to him. "I didn't survive all that time in the cave just to trade one death sentence for another, but that's what it will be like if I go back to my father, for you and me both."

Listen..." Hunter trails off, lost in thought as he mounts his horse once again before offering Nyssa a hand up behind him, but she rejects it in favor doing it herself." Like you, I'm capable handling things myself, but if your father is as dangerous as your say, then I mat need someone watching my back. I'll watch yours if you watch mine, what do you say?"

"Okay. I trust you, Hunter." Nyssa's tone is sincere and she displays her complete trust in Hunter by interlocking her hands around his abs and placing her head on his shoulder, causing Hunter to breathe nervously as the lines between her and Lorena become ever more blurred until she asks a question. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

"To Tomorrowland."

The two take their sweet time riding to the new city of Metropolis, stopping in a large clear-water river along the way so he and Nyssa can clean themselves of all dirt and blood, but the bath does little to ease his conflicted mind. He believes in past lives, the reincarnations of Khufu and Chay-Ara prove that everyday, though he never expected it would apply to anyone but the Hawks. Except, here he is, right next to someone who has the face of his wife and some small part of him wants to see what other similarities they share, even if he knows he can't when his heart lies with another, so he must see Nyssa to the safety of her father in the hopes that the man isn't as dangerous as she says. Only time will tell, as he knows it always does.

The night passes before Hunter arrives at the spot described on Jonah's map, where a man sits alone drinking in the driver seat of  an eloquent stagecoach while overlooking the brand new industrial city. He takes another drink from his flask and hops off his seat to inform his passenger as Hunter and Nyssa dismount their horse. "Sir, your daughter has returned, and she brought the doctor as you suspected."

"Thank you, Ubu." The devilish voice of Ra's Al Ghul rings out in the air and forces everyone to be silent, causing Hunter's skin to crawl in fear as Ubu opens the passenger door and The Demon's Head himself steps out. He greets Nyssa with a pained smile, but she doesn't return it as takes off Hunter's hat and gives it back to him, then she walks away without a word spoken between father and daughter. "It's good to see you as well, Nyssa. Ubu will see you inside, wait for me while I speak with our new friend."

Hunter walks right up to Ra's and gives him the hardest punch his mortal face can take under the force of his god strength, leading Ubu to come to his master's defense after he helps Nyssa in the coach, but Ra's waves him away as he spits blood from his mouth and listens to Hunter scream. "You fucking used me! I killed for you! A man is dead because of you that would be alive if you hadn't conducted this experiment with your daughter to get my attention, and I want to know why!"

Ra's simply waves away Hunter's anger as quickly as he did with his man-servant. "Because I know you, not your name, but who you are and what you've done across this world. You're not a man for the spotlight, but still important, as the legend goes, you were only Spartan to survive an onslaught of Persians when everyone was thought dead, but that's just a story and who can keep those straight after one has lived as many lives as we have, which is why I've come to you."

"I believe every few centuries that mankind needs a cleanse to stop the cancer that spouts with every new city that is built, a disaster or conflict to reset the board. I will take on the glorious responsibility to enact one such event during the first quarter of the next century, and I want your help. I need your warrior side, my boy." Ra's' smile widens and Hunter swears he can see a spider crawl in his mouth. 

Hunter's expression remains like stone after he is done listening to a man who nothing more than a charlatan to him. "I'm not the only one with a past Ra's. I watched you sack what was left of Rome as it burned, then Constantinople centuries later, followed by your misguided campaign during the Crusades, not to mention your witch-hunts in Salem, before you pitted this country against itself not 40 years ago. So if you think I'm going to join you now, I'd much rather put you on the long black train myself than join you on this crazy one. Gooday."

Feeling victorious, Hunter begins to walk to the horse before his ears flare up when Ra's calls back to his man-servant. "Ubu, kill Nyssa. She's of no further use me."

At his master's orders, Ubu yanks Nyssa out of the coach before forcing her on her knees with a knife at her throat, gently scratching the knife back and forth as she shows grave fear and uncertainly in her eyes for the very first time, causing Hunter to pull both of his guns on Ubu and Ra's as he shouts demands. "Let her go right now! She's your own daughter!"

"It would a tragedy to loose her, yes." Ra's says monotonality, showing no emotion with a gun pointed at him. "But many deaths often go unexplained to their loved ones in this world, take my father for instance. Back when I was a boy, my family traveled the world with a nomadic tribe, but we struggled to survive day to day, leading my father and his men to become mercenaries and robbers all throughout Greece. He would be sent a few days ahead of our group to scout the area and bring back any valuables that they found, except he and his men didn't return one day and we had move forward with out him. We finally found the men slaughtered in the desert two days later, my father had received the worst of it however, as the blood that blanked the sand was pouring out of him through the spear in his mouth!"

A look of deep grief finds its way on Hunter's face over what he had done many millennia ago, but he doesn't back down as Ra's continues with his calm voice slowing building into white hot rage. "Now, I'm not a unreasonable man, but blood must be repaid with blood, whether that is yours or hers, I don't care as long as I get the warrior I was promised in so many stories about you. So I will ask nicely, what are you willing to do for me, my boy?"

* * *

Times changes and so must Hunter, luckily, that's something he prides himself on after many lifetimes spent living under false identities. So when war was declared across Europe during the fourteenth year of the twentieth century, he barely batted an eye, just went to nearest recruiting office in London to sign up as he had done countless times before, much to Katherine's dismay, who had moved to the city in her later years and now has to worry about the wellbeing of her grown-up son as the wellbeing of her oldest friend. The only thing to bring Hunter any peace going into this war is that Diana will one day enter into man's world to finally end it.

Today is the unfortunate day and Katherine tightly holds the hands of both Hector and Hunter as they walk through Paddington Station in their army fatigues amidst the sea of other service men an women saying heartfelt goodbyes, and soon Katherine has deliver one to Hector of her own. "I suppose it's too late to ask you to reconsider, right?" She asks Hector in a joking manner, even though both of them are fighting back tears.

"I think so, mom. Sorry. I love you." Hector sets his suitcase down and takes Katherine into a deep hug while Hunter waits patiently in the background. "Everyone's saying the war will be over by Christmas, so there's hope we'll see each other again soon."

"I love you so much, son, and you too, Hunter. Please be back soon, I don't want to live alone in that big house for very long." Without warning, Katherine reaches out and pulls Hunter into their hug, which surprises him, but he suspected Katherine began seeing him a son when she started to get older while Hunter physically stayed young. "Who has the false identification papers for you two?"

"Got them right here, I finished them last night." Hunter separates from the hug, then reaches in his pocket for two sets of Army documents for himself and Hector. "This time around I will be Dr. Taylor Lennox, and Hector will be Jack Manser. Shall we go face destiny head on, Jack?"  

Hector nods and the two young men take off towards the train when they hear the whistle giving passengers ten minutes to board, only Jack turns back after taking his first steps onboard once he realizes his suitcase is still on the platform. " Hold on, I have to go back for my suitcase."

"I'll get it, you go on." Hunter doesn't give Hector time to argue as he shuffles through the other people to find the large brown leather suitcase in the center of the left platform. He kneels down to grab it in hand, then he is knocked on his back when he collides with another nervous service man, leading Hunter to become very apologetic as he picks himself up. Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

"It's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going and I'm very nervous." Steve Trevor's bright blue eyes and genuine smile are unmistakable as Hunter accepts his hand up. "I'm Steve Trevor, and you are?"

"Dr. Tay-Taylor Lennox." Hunter fails not to let his eagerness show as he shakes Steve's hand and sees how he is dressed in the exact same outfit worn in the photo that Diana described seeing near the end of the war. After a second of awkward between them, Hunter regains composer to speak. "I get your nervousness, there's not much that can be said in order to prepare someone for war."

"I think you're right. I guess we can try, have a nice war." Steve chuckles nervously and shakes Hunter's hand again before walking away to board the train. "I hope we meet again, Dr. Lennox."

Hunter stands frozen on the platform as he watches Steve fade into the background and Hunter wonders if he should take the necessary steps to save him this time, until Hector disrupts those thoughts by at him through the window of his seat on the train. "Do you have the case or not? We have to leave in seven minutes."

With his mind made up, Hunter quickly rushes to the window and hands over the case while his eyes are fixed on the station's post office. "Take this, I gotta do something before boarding, back right back." Hunter pretends not hear Hector's as he walks away. Instead, his entire focus is on doing something he knows he shouldn't, something that may break time itself, but after centuries of the world taking everything from him, it's time he takes something back for himself and his mother.

He enters the small office and slaps one thousand dollars on the counter upon reaching the station clerk. "I need you to send and transcribed an urgent letter to a friend of mine in the United States, please. Will this be enough to cover express mail?"

"Yes, and for that price, I will personally deliver it myself." The clerk's eyes light up in delight as he pockets the money, then he takes a pen and paper from the desk drawer. "What would you like the letter to say, sir?"

"Dear Wally West..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the first part of this story. I'm sorry to break it up like I did, but we're at the halfway point and I didn't want to rush anything in order to get to the end of this plotline. I really enjoyed writing this chapter because as much as it serves as an explanation as to how Hunter is returning home, it also serves a purpose in allowing me to stretch my legs as a writer with the different genre I place Hunter into and that continue in the second part.


End file.
